Thomas Alva Edison : Overcoming Life Obstacles

The age of the Enlightenment was a time when people were coming together and creating new ideas and inventions to improve the life of the people. Many things were made during this time period, and without them life today would be very different. Examples of some of these inventions are the light bulb and the phonograph that Thomas Edison is credited with inventing. With the light bulb, our days would be cut short due to fact that people can’t see in the dark. Without the light bulb and phonograph things like TVs, cell phones, computer, and other electronic devices that people today can not live without would have never been thought of. The focus of this essay is what caused Edison to become an inventor and some of his inventions like the previously stated light bulb and phonograph.

Thomas Edison is seen as the grandfather of technology to most but, not all. Edison is seen to some as a villain in history as he has gotten credit for ideas such as the light bulb that had come from someone else. The truth is Edison is both not an angel nor devil. Edison is a hero because of his large amount of inventions, he took challenges and used them for strength over weaknesses, and he is seen as a role model as both an engineer along with a person in general. Edison could also seen as bad from the fact sometimes he let his wealth control him and some of is innovation ideas are believed to have been stolen. The truth is Edison is neither extreme however should be viewed much more positively than negatively.

This is Thomas Edison. Thomas Edison is a famous inventor who invented lots of things that we use today. He was born a very long time ago in the United States of America.

So we all know Thomas Edison, but we didn’t really know what he did for us. So you ask yourself who is Thomas Edison, well he was an inventor and he was well known for it. Was he the greatest inventor of all time? He made the phonograph. Also he made one of the greatest invention and it was the light bulb, but you ask , How did he invent light. What was his childhood like? what was his education like? what inventions did he make? Did he get married? Did he have kids?

His inventions helped everyone out, which improved the standard of living. Thomas Alva Edison

I chose Thomas Edison for my project. I chose Thomas Edison because I’m interested in learning about his life and inventions. I didn’t know much about Thomas Edison, but I had a lot of questions about his life. I also would like to know about more about some of his inventions and how he became a famous inventor. I also wondered what the world would be like if

Nikola Tesla is truly a man out of time. His inventions changed the world. He could design a device and fix its problems in his head. This ability made most of his inventions work right away. He might not have gotten rich but his inventions laid the basics of modern technology. He even experimented with ball lightning.

Two of the most significant historical figures that overcame failure are Henry Ford and Thomas Edison. Ford’s early businesses failed and left him broke five times before Ford Motor Company finally succeeded, revolutionizing transportation in America. While developing the light bulb, Thomas Edison had to figure out what filament inside the light bulb would light up. After more than 1,000 failed attempts, he finally learned what made the light work, paving the way for electronics and all their

I believe Edison was edified and Tesla was nearly forgotten due to the fact Edison was a better businessman. In the article The Rise & Fall of Nikola Tesla & his Tower, it clearly expresses that Tesla lacked the business knowledge that Edison and other men in his field did. “But what [Tesla’s] contemporaries may have been lacking in scientific talent, men like Edison and George Westinghouse clearly possessed the one trait that Tesla did not -- a mind for business” (King, pg. 1). Edison’s superior knack for business left a long standing impression on American culture, history, and its memory which Tesla could not do.

Although he may not have been born with his greatness he fought for what he wanted and achieved it. Thomas Edison wasn't just an inventor he was also a well known successful manufacturer and businessman. Thomas Edison had received very little education, his mother would teach him at home and he self taught as well as he got older along with reading the books his father had in their library. Even though he didn't have the best education, Thomas Edison got himself out there and made sure people knew of him and what he was creating.

Who invented the light bulb? Only a few really know the true answer to this question. Most people around the US simply think that Thomas Edison invented the light bulb. The story or “invention myth” behind the bulb varies drastically from the general public’s belief. The belief is that a lone inventor, Thomas Edison, sat down in his workshop and simply created the incandescent light bulb out of thin air. Edison in no way created the incandescent light bulb out of thin air. He used the knowledge of previous researchers and inventors to make a the first commercialized light bulb and gained world-wide recognition as a result.

A dreamer, an inventor, and above all, Thomas Edison was an ambitious and ruthless businessman who manifested the deep determination to take over the electricity market. Edison’s portrayal in Moran’s book “The Executioner’s Current” holds much more realistic and in depth aspects of his personality, than shown in the short excerpt, “They Transformed the World” pertaining to “America’s greatest change-makers.” On top of being an inventor, as shown in the excerpt, Moran’s portrayal of Edison displays him as an aggressive and competitive businessman by using the media and press to influence public opinion, as well as by pushing for the Electrical Execution Act.

Thomas Edison not only became a distinguished inventor but also a symbol of preservation. Instead of falling into a hole of self-pity Edison, unlike many, decides to let go of the failures that came during his lifetime and was able to continue moving forward onto the next invention. Failures act as a road of trials that one can either succumb to or excel from and Edison was able to grow from them as a man, an inventor, and a role

Even as a child, Edison was entrepreneurial and scientifically curious, he would sell candy and newspapers for money and run experiments in the train. At the age of 19, Edison became a telegrapher, allowing for close access to this technology.

I decided to do my report on Thomas Alva Edison because he brought a lot of things into our world. He invented the light bulb, the alkaline battery, the phonograph, and many other things. Many of our modern electronics origins came from Thomas A. Edison. I thought he was very interesting. That is why I chose him.