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Thomas Edison was born in Milan, Ohio, on February 11, 1847. In 1854, his family moved to Port Huron, Michigan. Edison's first job in 1859 was operating a news stand on the railroad that ran from port Huron to Detroit. To make the trips more interesting, Edison installed a printing press and chemistry lab in a boxcar. Finally, in 1869, he decided to become a full-time inventor. On June 1st of that year, Edison was granted his first patent for an electric voting machine. But, no one wanted to use the machine. His next invention was more successful. He made a new and improved stock market tickertape machine in 1869, which earned him an instant $40,000 [about $700,000 today].
Edison eventually received about 200 patents for telegraph systems and devices. In 1876, in Menlo park, New jersey, Edison founded his famous invention factory. Edison's first great Menlo park invention was the phonograph in 1877 although he did not bring it to market for ten years. He was busy with his greatest project: a workable electric light system that would replace candles and gaslight forever, at home and in public. He was a workaholic, but he was not upset by failures in his lab. He just said that is one more way that will not work.
By: Keith O'Donoghue
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