Most people think that Thomas Edison inevented the light bulb, but he didn't. He perfected it. He invented the motion picture camera and the phonograph, which recorded sounds. People know about his inventions and successes, but I don't think many know about his past and family life.
He was the seventh child in his family, and could not pay attention in school. His mother beleived in him and eventually started to homeschool Thomas. He loved his mother dearly, and worked hard so she would be proud of him. Thomas developed a hearing problem, which is thought to have come from having scarlett fever and untreated ear infections. His family moved to Michigan where he sold candy, newspapers, and vegetables to make money. This helped him realize his love for business.Thomas, who was 24 at the time, married Mary Stilwell in 1871, who was 16 at the time. She was an employee at one of his shops. They had three children together, Marion who was nicknamed Dot, Thomas who was nicknamed Dash, and William. Mary died in 1884, possibly from a brain tumor. Thomas, 39, remarried Mina Miller, 20, in 1886 in Ohio. The two also had three children together, Madeleine, Charles, and Theodore.
Thomas and MinaHis career began in Newark, New Jersey with the invention of the phonograph. He also built the first industrial research lab in Menlo Park.Thomas kept working until the final months of his life. He drank a pint of milk every three hours, and was said to be very strict about his meals. He thought that drinking this would restore his health. He bought the home that he was born in. He died on October 18, 1931 in his home in New Jersey from complications with diabetes. The house was a wedding gift for Mina, and he is buried right behind it.Thomas Edison created some pretty amazing things that we could not live without today. The light bulb is one of the most important things that we have, not to mention electricity. He was a very good man to look up to becuase he was kind and humble about his great inventions. He was an extremely smart man, and without him, who knows, maybe we wouldn't be able to do all of our assignments on the internet!!"Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration."-Thomas Alva Edison
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