Thomas Alva Edison Thomas Alva Edison was born in Milan, Ohioon February 11,1847. His parents were Samuel and Nancy Edison.Thomas's three older brothers and sisters died before he was bornfrom very harsh winters. He had brother named Pitt and twosisters named Marion and Harriet Ann. His parents named himThomas because of his great uncle.
When he was young, everyone called him Al.Al asked a lot of questions and was VERY curious. When youngThomas was six, he started a fire in his father's barn and burnedit to the ground. He was charged with arson. To show that he wastruly sorry, Samuel Edison spanked his son in front of the wholetown the next day. Thomas was very embarrassed.
Sam was afraid that his son had no feelingsbecause when Thomas was at the creek, his friend drowned and heshowed no emotion. Al's teachers thought that he could not learnand was stupid, and when his teachers told Nancy Edison, shebecame very mad and decided to teach Thomas herself. Thomas'smother bought him the Dictionary of Science, and he readit all. After that, all of his allowance was spent buyingchemicals at the drug store.
Before Thomas Alva Edison was ten, he hadalready read History of England, Decline and Fall ofthe Roman Empire, History of the World, and The Ageof Reason. When he was eleven, he made his own telegraph setfrom a picture in a book. Then and there, he decided he wanted tobecome a telegrapher. At age twelve, he started selling candy ontrains to people riding.
When he was 13, he was running behind atrain, trying to catch it, when a man snatched his ear and pulledhim up onto the train by his ears. Right then, he started toslowly become deaf. Another time, at 15, Thomas saw a boy on atrain track, and a train was heading right for him. Al swept by,grabbing the boy, and put him on the grass. The boy's father wasso happy, he taught Thomas telegraphy in reward.
When Thomas Edison was 21, he experimentedwith everything. He was fired from his job at the BostonTelegraph Service because he became bored and started playingjokes on his boss. On May 1, 1869, Thomas received a patent for avote recording machine, but once it was invented, no one wantedit.
Later, Thomas invented a device that wouldcontrol errors in stock tickers, and engineers liked it. Hewanted at the most, $5,000 for it, but he kept quiet and theengineers offered him $40,000. When Thomas brought his check tothe bank, the teller began to yell at him, because he could nothear. He took his check and got out of line. Al went back to theengineer's office and the engineer identified him to the teller,and Thomas had his money, which he spent all on shop equipment.
One day, Thomas Edison saw a lady standingout in the rain, and he fell in love with her. Her name was MaryStilwell. He offered her a job in his lab, and she accepted. Hetaught her Morse code, and married her. After the wedding, Thomaswent to see the new stock tickers. Mary spent her wedding dayalone. The next day, Thomas took Mary to Niagara Falls for theirhoneymoon and Mary took her sister because she was so upset aboutThomas leaving on their wedding day.
The telephone was invented a short timelater by Alexander Graham Bell. Engineers asked Thomas if hecould improve it, and he tried. He invented the first phonograph,and everyone loved it. Mary later had two baby girls: Madeline,and Dot. After his daughters were born, his hard work finally hadpaid off. He had invented something that would change the worldand technology forever. Thomas Alva Edison had invented the lightbulb.
He installed a lighting system in New York,and lit it up. Everyone thought that Thomas was a wizard, andgave him the name "Wizard of Menlo Park". After hisinvention of the light bulb, Mary had two baby boys: Junior andWill. Mary died of Typhoid fever on August 9, 1884. Thomas wassad, but a short time after, he married a young woman named MinaMiller. On their wedding day, he was 38, and she was 22. The nextday, they took Thomas's first actual vacation. They went toParis.
Mina had a baby boy named Charles, and ayear later, she had another boy, Theodore. After the birth of hissons, he had invented the motion picture. America was soastounded, they named him the American Wizard.
Thomas Alva Edison died a short time lateron October 21, 1931 at age 84. He was buried under an oak tree inGlenmont. The United States were so sad, they turned off theirpower for one minute and prayed throughout the whole UnitedStates for a tribute to Thomas Alva Edison.