Thomas Edison

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Watch a silent short of Thomas Edison, who invented the phonograph and incandescent electric light

The role of chemistry in Thomas Edison's inventions

Thomas Edison and phonograph

model of Thomas Edison's phonograph

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Thomas Edison

Thomas Alva Edison summary

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Thomas Edison: Facts & Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As	Thomas Alva Edison • Wizard of Menlo Park
Born	February 11, 1847 • Milan • Ohio
Died	October 18, 1931 (aged 84) • West Orange • New Jersey
Awards And Honors	Hall of Fame (1960)
Inventions	carbon transmitter • incandescent lamp • Kinetograph • Kinetoscope • phonograph • fluoroscope

Did You Know?

Yankee Stadium was built with concrete from Edison's cement company.
A telegrapher taught Edison telegraphy as a reward for saving his son from being hit by a freight car.
Edison proposed to his second wife in Morse code.
Edison was homeschooled as a child because he performed badly in school.

Photos and Videos

Thomas Edison and phonograph

model of Thomas Edison's phonograph

Thomas Edison; lightbulb

Watch a silent short of Thomas Edison, who invented the phonograph and incandescent electric light

The role of chemistry in Thomas Edison's inventions

Watch a motion picture of a sneeze as captured by a strip Kinetograph

Watch the only known motion picture film of Mark Twain with his daughters Clara and Jean shot with using the Kinetograph

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