On February 11, 1847, renowned inventor and entrepreneur Thomas Alva Edison was born in Milan, Ohio. He grew up in Port Huron, Michigan, alongside his six older siblings and was primarily home-schooled by his mother. At the age of 13, Edison began selling newspapers along a railroad line, where he developed a fascination with the telegraph. This experience sparked his lifelong pursuit of technological innovation.

At age 16, Edison became a full-time telegraph operator. A coworker and inventor named Franklin Leonard Pope mentored Edison and even gave him lodging and a workspace in his basement. Edison’s earliest inventions, like the stock ticker, were related to telegraphy. At age 22, he was granted his first patent for the electric vote recorder.

In 1876, Edison made a significant move, relocating his lab to Menlo Park, New Jersey, where he established the world’s first research and development facility. This pioneering step allowed Edison to gather brilliant minds in what he termed his ‘invention factory,’ fostering a collaborative environment from conception to production. The influence of Menlo Park was far-reaching, with later industrial laboratories, such as Bell Laboratories, drawing inspiration from Edison’s innovative approach.

While Edison was best known for inventing the light bulb, he also used technology to make it commercially viable. In 1882, he built the first commercial power station in New York City, single-handedly starting the electric age. He has 1,093 patents, the most famous of which are the phonograph, motion picture camera, and storage battery. He was also a shrewd businessman, founding 14 companies, one of which became General Electric. Edison is considered the most prolific and influential inventor in American history.