Thomas Edison Accomplishments

Thomas Edison, celebrated American inventor, had humble beginnings, but quickly rose to fame with his brilliant inventions that changed how America interacted with technology. Thomas Alva Edison was born February 11, 1847 in Milan, Ohio, the seventh and last child of Samuel and Nancy Edison. Growing up, Edison had a burning curiosity for anything and everything; however, while he was attending public school, his teacher thought Edison had no capacity for learning and always often ridiculed him for asking questions. Nancy Edison, being a former school teacher, decided to homeschool Thomas after a mere 12 weeks in a public education system in order to fulfil his insatiable thirst for knowledge. It was this fiery spirit of inquiry that allowed

Previously, lightbulbs were impractical for home use because they were unsafe, expensive, and burned out after a few minutes. Edison spent days at a time in his lab trying to discover the perfect combination of materials that would provide enough light for families around the US and the world. Thousands of materials were tested, from rubber to platinum, until a carbonized cotton thread was used. The thread was placed into the glass bulb, and air was forced out to create a vacuum that would allow the bulb to burn longer. In 1879, after one and a half years of experimentation, Edison and his workers found the combination that allowed him to create the first sustainable incandescent light. The carbonized cotton burned for over 13 hours, and many people from around the country came to Menlo Park to see the laboratory completely lit up by electricity. Edison went on to perfect the light bulb, finding bamboo a better filament than cotton, and created light switches, wiring, everything needed to make light bulbs work in homes, and the electric industry. However, many families continued to use gas lamps until Edison created the necessary inventions to make electricity accessible and