Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Thomas Edison
Quotes References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images & Videos
Watch a silent short of Thomas Edison, who invented the phonograph and incandescent electric light
Thomas Edison
The role of chemistry in Thomas Edison's inventions
Thomas Alva Edison in a formal suit, looking slightly to the side in an undated black-and-white portrait photograph. Black-and-white portrait of a young Thomas Edison wearing a dark cap and a scarf, looking directly at the camera and smiling slightly. Portrait of a young Thomas Edison in a dark suit and bow tie, facing slightly to the left with a neutral expression. Thomas Edison and his phonograph Thomas Edison stands beside an early phonograph, holding his hand to his ear as he listens to the device's large horn speaker. model of Thomas Edison's phonograph Thomas Edison
At a Glance
Vintage engraving from 1878 of the spinning room in Shadwell Rope Works. View of the factory floor. Industrial revolution
Pop Quiz: 15 Things to Know About the Industrial Revolution
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison summary
Quizzes
ball bearing. Disassembled ball bearing. rotational friction Automobile Industry, Engineering, Industry, Machine Part, Metal Industry, Sphere, Steel, Wheel
Inventors and Inventions
Alberto Santos-Dumont. Postcard of Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont's (1873-1932) airship or dirigible and Eiffel Tower. The Santos Dumont Air-Ship rounding the Eiffel Tower; on Octoboer 19th 1901. airplane
A History of Everyday Technology in 68 Quiz Questions
Related Questions
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Britannica Websites
Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Thomas Edison

American inventor
Also known as: Thomas Alva Edison, Wizard of Menlo Park
Written by
Robert E. Conot
Editor, Los Angeles Times. Senior Lecturer in Journalism, University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Author of A Streak of Luck: The Life and Legend of Thomas Alva Edison and others.
Robert E. ConotAll
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
Last updated
•History

Thomas Edison (born February 11, 1847, Milan, Ohio, U.S.—died October 18, 1931, West Orange, New Jersey) was an American inventor who, singly or jointly, held a world-record 1,093 patents. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial research laboratory. Edison was the quintessential American inventor in the era of Yankee ingenuity. He began his career in 1863, in the adolescence of the telegraph industry, when virtually the only source of electricity was primitive batteries putting...

Discover the world with Britannica

Subscribe to Continue Reading

Free Trial | No Ads | Exclusive Content
Explore Subscriptions
DNA
Right
Mobile