365 Days of Facts

Thomas Edison was born on February 11, 1847. He is most famous for his work as a businessman and inventor and is also described as America’s greatest inventor.

Thomas Edison and His Inventions

He made many inventions in the fields of communication, electric power, and sound recording, some of his most famous work includes that of the electric lightbulb (which he reportedly made around 1000 prototypes of), the phonograph, and the first motion picture camera.

By the time he died, he held 1,093 patents in the US, and more in various other countries.

Edison was raised in the American midwest and had his early career as a telegraph operator which would inspire some of his inventions.

One of the darkest moments in Edison’s history has to do with the “War of Currents,” where AC (Nikola Tesla’s Alternating Current) and DC ( Edison’s Direct Current) competed for companies to use their patents instead of the other.

Edison expressed that AC was unworkable because of its higher voltage, and a higher risk of hurting a customer. In 1888 there was a public and media outcry at a string of deaths caused by pole-mounted AC lines. Edison took advantage of the frenzy and started a smear propaganda campaign against AC and the companies that used it.

In an attempt to smear the AC brand, Edison invented the electric chair with AC as its power component. This was to push the portrayal further that AC was dangerous, lethal, and uncontrollable. However, this eventually backfired and Thomas Edison was the main recipient of gripes with the technology: Not alternating current.

During World War I due to security concerns, Edison suggested forming a science and industry committee to provide research outcomes and advice to the military. After which, he headed the Naval Consulting Board in 1915.

Edison became concerned with America’s reliance on foreign nations to provide it rubber. Edison built a laboratory with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone. Edison then did the majority of the planting, research, and sending results to his West Orange Lab. After testing 17,000 plant samples, he eventually found an adequate source of latex in the Goldenrod plant.

In the end, Edison died on October, 18th 1931 at the age of 84 from complications with diabetes. He is arguably the best inventor in American history: and he changed American history as well.