Historical Figure
Thomas Edison
1847–1931
American inventor and businessman (1847–1931)
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Key Dates
Birth
1847 February 11, 1847 →Biography
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions, which include the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and early versions of the electric light bulb, have had a widespread impact on the modern industrialized world. He was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of organized science and teamwork to the process of invention, working with many researchers and employees. He established the first industrial research laboratory.
Timeline
In Menlo Park, New Jersey, Thomas Edison performs the first test of his electric railway.
May 13 →The first electric lighting system employing overhead wires, built by Thomas Edison, begins service at Roselle, New Jersey.
January 19 →History of cinema: The first public display of Thomas Edison's prototype kinetoscope.
May 20 →Thomas Edison demonstrates the kinetoscope, a device for peep-show viewing using photographs that flip in sequence, a precursor to movies.
April 14 →Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany becomes the first person to make a sound recording of a political document, using Thomas Edison's phonograph cylinder.
March 3 →More from the Industrial Revolution
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