Mary's Accomplishments

In all this joy and excitement, Mary’s health was plummeting. She suffered with severe depression with Thomas missing and the overwhelming job of taking care of three children. Thomas took her on a simple vacation but they returned early because Mary’s father was ill. His death was a complete disaster to Mary and her depression continued to increase. She also became ill and died On August 9, 1884, just before her thirtieth birthday. Tom left with his three children to care for and business pressures inclined. The next few years were the hardest in his life (Woodside 52).

In New Orleans at a technology demonstration, Thomas met Mina Miller who he soon found interest in. she was nineteen and the daughter of a wealthy businessman. But, Mina was

in the war. Thomas  and a group of scientists and inventors  thought of a way to protect ships from torpedoes. The group came up with a way to locate enemy airplanes and submarines. They also figured out how to make chemical combinations needed for the war. The war ended in 1918 and Tom continued on improving the phonograph and records. Even when he felt any type of sickness, he worked. He said working made him live longer. In 1928, Edison was given the Congressional Gold Medal as a way of thanking him for making everyone’s life brighter and easier. This medal is one of the nation’s highest civilian medals (DeMauro 38-40).

As Thomas’ life came to an end, Henry Ford, the inventor of the Model T and a close friend of Edison, moved Thomas’ original laboratory in Menlo Park to the Greenfield Village Museum in Dearborn, Michigan in 1929 (Beals). Edison was determine to find a way to create cheaper rubber for automobile cars. He began his research in 1927 and did not stop until the invention was over. Thomas decided that golden rod was ideal for rubber. In 1931, Thomas filed his last patent, a total of 1,093 patents (Woodside 118,

Three days later, every light bulb in the United States was dimmed. This was a way of honoring and remembering his journey (DeMauro 40, 41). After Thomas’ death, Emil Ludwig, a German biographer, proposed to President Herbert Hoover that every light throughout America, should be turned off for a minute. Hoover agreed and at 9:59 eastern standard time, 8:59 in Chicago, 7:59 in the mountains, and 6:59 Pacific Time all lights, except essential traffic signs, were turned off. For sixty seconds, the world was like the way it used to be with gas lamps. Then, from California to Long Island, New York, the world blazed in one light (Clark 241, 242). In 1962, Thomas’ laboratory and home in West Orange, New Jersey were designated as National Historic sites. Today, Edison’s home and laboratory is a park many Americans visit (Beals, Edison Biography).

Thomas Edison’s inventions and improvements were only a part of his contribution to modern life; which range from electrical engineering and chemistry to transportation, entertainment, and comforts to daily life. Many explain Edison’s life as a “rags to riches” story (Parker 26). His idea of working as a team helped him tremendously. Many companies and organizations saw this and did the same thing. His ideas on bringing science experts from all different branches led to his great success. Today, we call this “research and development” and it is used by every thriving company