Thomas Alva Edison, renowned as the Wizard of Menlo Park, was a luminary inventor and entrepreneur whose innovations revolutionized modern life. Edison’s relentless curiosity and tireless work ethic propelled him to become one of the most prolific inventors in history. Let’s delve into the timeline of his remarkable journey, year by year:
1847:
Thomas Alva Edison was born on February 11, in Milan, Ohio, USA. He was the seventh and youngest child of Samuel Ogden Edison Jr. and Nancy Matthews Elliott.
1854:
The Edison family moved in Port Huron, Michigan, where Samuel Edison became a light house keeper and carpenter on Fort Gratiot military post.
At the age of seven, Edison attended school for a brief period (only 434 days) but was primarily home-schooled by his mother. He taught reading, writing and arithmetic by her. His curious nature and thirst for knowledge were evident from a young age.
1859:
Edison began working as a newsboy on the Grand Trunk Railroad, where he started selling newspapers and snacks to passengers. This early exposure to commerce sparked his entrepreneurial spirit.
At that time he developed hearing problem, the main cause was middle-ear infections during scarlet fever.
1862:
Edison saved a three years old boy (Jimmie Mackenzie) from being struck by a train. Jimmie’s father J.U.Mackenzie, station agent of Mount Clemens, Michigan, trained Edison as a telegraph operator and became an apprentice telegrapher.
1866:
Edison moved in Louisville, Kentucky. He worked in Associated Press bureau news wire as an employee of Western Union.
1867:
Edison fired from his job because he split sulfuric acid below his boss’s desk during a lead-acid battery experiment.
1869:
Edison developed his first patented invention, an electric vote recorder, which was intended to streamline voting processes. However, it was not successful commercially.
Edison moved to New York City to pursue his career as an inventor and entrepreneur. He worked on various projects and gained a reputation for his ingenuity and determination.
Edison and Franklin Leonard Pope found a company.
1870:
Edison began to work on automatic telegraph.
1871:
Edison married a 16 year old girl, Marry Stilwell. They had three children [Marion Estelle Edison (dot), Thomas Alva Edison Jr (Dash) and William Leslie Edison].
1874:
Edison developed a multiplex telegraphic system to two messages simultaneously.
1776:
This was a pivotal year for Edison, as he established the world’s first industrial research laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey. It was here that he invented the phonograph, his first major breakthrough, which could record and reproduce sound.
He invented an electric pen, the first electric copy machine to create copies of notes.
1877:
Building on his success with the phonograph (his favourite invention), Edison invented the carbon microphone, a crucial component in the development of the telephone. This invention helped to improve the quality of voice transmission.
1878:
Edison was awarded an honorary PhD from Union College.
1879:
Perhaps Edison’s most famous invention, the practical electric light bulb, was successfully demonstrated in his laboratory. This ground-breaking achievement revolutionized the way people lived and worked, transforming the world with electric illumination.
1882:
Edison formed the Edison Electric Light Company to oversee the commercialization of his electric lighting system. The first public demonstration of his system took place in New York City, marking the beginning of widespread electrification.
1884:
Mary Stilwell died. Edison moved from Menlo Park after her death.
1885:
Edison bought 13 acres property at Fort Myers.
1886:
Edison married Mina Miller, daughter of Lewis Miller. They had three children (Madeleine Edison, Charles Edison and Theodore Miller Edison).
He shifts in Llewellyn Park in West Orange, New Jersey with his new wife.
1887:
Edison got Matteucci Medal.
1889:
Edison got John Scott Medal.
1891:
Edison patented the kinetoscope (with the help of William Dickson), an early motion picture camera, and viewer. This invention laid the foundation for the motion picture industry, paving the way for the development of cinema.
1899:
Edison developed an alkaline storehouse battery for electric vehicles.
He got Edward Longstreth Medal.
1903:
Edison established the Edison Storage Battery Company to develop rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles. While his battery technology faced challenges, it contributed to advancements in battery research.
1908:
Edison got John Fritz Medal.
1914:
Edison’s wife, Mina Miller, died after a long illness, deeply affecting him. Despite this personal loss, he remained committed to his work and continued to pursue new inventions and projects.
1915:
Edison got Franklin Medal.
1920:
Edison got Navy Distinguished Service Medal.
1923:
Edison tried to find alternative sources of rubber.
American Institute of Electrical Engineers created the Edison Medal and he was the first recipient.
1928:
Edison got Congressional Gold Medal.
1929:
Edison inaugurated his Menlo Park laboratory as a museum.
1931:
Edison had filed his final patent (1093rd) on January 9 just months before his death.
On October 18, Thomas Edison passed away at the age of 84 at his home in West Orange, New Jersey. His death marked the end of an era but left behind a legacy of innovation and entrepreneurship that continues to inspire generations of inventors and scientists.
