Thomas Edison, whose inventions are known around the world, has received more than a thousand patents. Before him, not a single person in such quantity had them. This person has improved the incandescent lamp (he made it economical), telephone, cinema equipment, telegraph. He created a phonograph, a vote counter during the elections, a nickel-iron battery, and an electric chair.
Thomas Edison. Biography
This man was born in 1847, February 11, in the city of Mylan , Ohio. His father (Samuel) was the owner of a carpentry shop, and his mother (Nancy) was a teacher.
When Thomas turned seven, his father went bankrupt. In this regard, the family was forced to move to Port Huron , Michigan. There, Thomas Edison went to elementary school. However, he spent three months in it. The boy was not distinguished by any outstanding abilities, he studied, in general, not very well. After the teacher called Thomas "dumb" at all, his mother took the boy home. Then he received only home education.
At ten, Thomas Edison took a keen interest in chemistry and set up a small laboratory in the basement of the house. However, the experiments needed money. At twelve, Thomas went to work. He sold apples on the square of the city, and then began to sell various goods on trains, in which he spent a lot of time. He was subsequently even given a luggage car, where he transferred his laboratory and where he set up his experiments. When Thomas turned fifteen, he bought a used machine tool and started publishing a newspaper.
Since 1863, Thomas began to work as a telegraph operator. For five years he actively studied his business. Edison thought about invention after reading a book by Faraday on experimental studies of electricity.
In 1869, the first patent for a registrar of votes was obtained. However, there were no buyers for this invention. From this moment, Thomas Edison decides to engage only in profitable development. In 1870, he sells a patent for a telegraph device that reports stock quotes on a stock exchange (ticker). The funds that he received (forty thousand dollars) went to establish a laboratory in Newark. The serial production of tickers begins.
In 1873, Thomas Edison invented the telegraph's diplex scheme. This development made it possible to transmit two messages simultaneously in opposite directions on the same wire. Subsequently, Edison began to transmit four messages.
In 1876, the inventor moved to Menlo Park. He creates here a new workshop-laboratory. Thomas Edison equips her with all the necessary equipment and tools, carefully selects the staff. The aim was to improve the technology to such an extent that it could be used with benefit. By and large, this laboratory was the world's first research institute. In 1877, a carbon microphone and phonograph was released. The latter was still far from perfect, but at that time it was very popular. In the next 1878, Thomas Edison began introducing incandescent lamps into the industry . They were invented before him, the inventor only improved them. In 1882, Edison created his first power plant. Since that time, the era of the lighting industry in the United States began.
In 1887, a new laboratory, larger and better equipped, was opened by the inventor in West Orange. A voice recorder, an alkaline battery, a fluoroscope, a kinescope were created here, and a phonograph was also improved.
In 1892, Edison created the largest General Electric concern.
Last years he spent calmly and measuredly. Edison lived in abundance, raising children and grandchildren.
The inventor died in the West Orange state of New Jersey in 1931, October 18.