February 11, 1847 is the birth date of Tomas Alva Edison.
Thomas Edison became very interested in science and inventions at an early age and spend a great deal of time experimenting. At age 10, he built his first science laboratory in the basement of the family’s home. His father did not approve of all the time that Tomas spent spent on science, so he paid Thomas a penny for each novel or history book he read. Thomas did the reading, collected the money, and often spent it on supplies for his experiments and inventions.
The curious boy grew into a curious man and became one of the most prolific (productive) American inventors of the nineteenth century. During the 84 years of his life, Edison patented 1,093 inventions.
Somethings Edison invented himself, such as the phonograph in 1877, which was his favorite invention, while other inventions were improvements of things, such as the telegraph. Edison’s improved telegraph could transmit 1,000 words a minute, as compared to the earlier models, which had a top speed of 45 words a minute. He created what became known as an invention factory, where he and his workers invented, built, and shipped products. He often required everyone working for him to stay night and day until an invention was completed.
For more information about Tomas Edison, see THOMAS EDISON Index
