Thomas Alva Edison

Thomas Alva Edison revolutionized daily life as few people before or after him have done. The light bulb, the phonograph, motion pictures--through these and countless other technological marvels Edison left an indelible mark on the modern world. Although he had little formal education, Edison showed a remarkable talent for practical science as a teenager and was only in his early twenties when he launched his inventing career. In 1876, he established the world's first industrial research laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey, and within six years he and his assistants had developed a light-and-power system that amazed the world. For more than half a century, Edison remained active and involved in science and invention. Upon Edison's death in 1931, President Herbert Hoover asked the nation to dim its lights in tribute to the inventor.