Editing Thomas Edison (section)

{{Short description|American inventor and businessman (1847–1931)}}
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{{Infobox person
| name          = Thomas Edison
| image         = Thomas Edison2.jpg
| caption       = Edison, {{circa|1922}}
| birth_name    = Thomas Alva Edison
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1847|2|11}}
| birth_place   = [[Milan, Ohio]], U.S.
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|1931|10|18|1847|2|11}}
| death_place   = [[West Orange, New Jersey]], U.S.
| burial_place  = [[Thomas Edison National Historical Park]]
| occupation    = {{hlist|Inventor|businessman}}
| years_active  = 1877–1930
| education     = Self-educated; some coursework at [[Cooper Union]]
| awards        = {{collapsible list
  | title       = {{nobold|''See list''}}
  | [[Matteucci Medal]] (1887)
  | [[John Scott Medal]] (1889)
  | [[Edward Longstreth Medal]] (1899)
  | [[John Fritz Medal]] (1908)
  | [[Franklin Medal]] (1915)
  | [[Navy Distinguished Service Medal]] (1920)
  | [[Congressional Gold Medal]] (1928)
  }}
| module         = {{Listen voice
  | filename     = Thomas Edison Mary had lamb.ogg
  | description  = Edison reciting "[[Mary Had a Little Lamb]]"
  | recorded     = 1929
  }}
| known_for      = [[Phonograph]], [[Electric light]], [[Electric power distribution]], [[Film|early motion pictures]], ''[[List of Edison patents|see list]]''
| spouse         = {{ublist
  | {{marriage|Mary Stilwell|December 25, 1871|August 9, 1884|end=died}}
  | {{marriage|[[Mina Miller Edison|Mina Miller]]|February 24, 1886}}
  }}
| children       = 6, including [[Madeleine Edison|Madeleine]], [[Charles Edison|Charles]], and [[Theodore Miller Edison|Theodore]]
| relatives      = [[Lewis Miller (philanthropist)|Lewis Miller]] (father-in-law)
| signature      = Thomas Alva Edison Signature.svg
}}

'''Thomas Alva Edison''' (February{{nbsp}}11, 1847{{snd}}October{{nbsp}}18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman.<ref>{{cite news|author1=Adrian Wooldridge|author-link1=Adrian Wooldridge|title=The alphabet of success|url=https://www.economist.com/news/special-report/21707053-superstars-need-dazzling-range-qualities-alphabet-success|access-date=September 16, 2016|newspaper=[[The Economist]]|date=September 15, 2016|archive-date=September 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916132910/http://www.economist.com/news/special-report/21707053-superstars-need-dazzling-range-qualities-alphabet-success|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Sproule1">{{cite book|last1=Sproule|first1=Anna|title=Thomas Alva Edison: The World's Greatest Inventor|date=2000|publisher=Blackbirch Press|location=Woodbridge, CT|isbn=978-1-56711-331-0|edition=1st U.S.|url=https://archive.org/details/thomasaedisonwor00spro}}</ref><ref name="SoNJ1">{{cite web|title=Hangout – Thomas Edison|url=http://www.state.nj.us/hangout_nj/200408_edison_p1.html|website=state.nj.us|publisher=State of New Jersey}}</ref> He developed many devices in fields such as [[electric power generation]], [[mass communication]], [[sound recording]], and motion pictures.<ref name="coned1">{{cite web|url=http://www.coned.com/history/electricity.asp |title=Con Edison: A Brief History of Con Edison – electricity |publisher=Coned.com |date=January 1, 1998 |access-date=October 11, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121030164753/http://www.coned.com/history/electricity.asp |archive-date=October 30, 2012 }}</ref> These inventions, which include the [[phonograph]], the [[motion picture camera]], and early versions of the electric [[Incandescent light bulb|light bulb]], have had a widespread impact on the modern [[industrial society|industrialized world]].<ref name="Wizard">{{cite web |url=http://fi.edu/franklin/inventor/edison.html |title=The Wizard of Menlo Park |publisher=The Franklin Institute |access-date=February 24, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130305131049/http://fi.edu/franklin/inventor/edison.html |archive-date=March 5, 2013 }}</ref> He was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of organized science and teamwork to the process of invention, working with many researchers and employees. He established the first industrial [[research laboratory]].<ref name="Walsh">{{cite news|last=Walsh|first= Bryan|url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1910417_1910419_1910460,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090718030306/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1910417_1910419_1910460,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 18, 2009 |title=The Electrifying Edison |magazine=Time |date=July 15, 2009 |access-date=December 31, 2013}}</ref>

Edison was raised in the [[American Midwest]]. Early in his career he worked as a [[telegraph operator]], which inspired some of his earliest inventions.<ref name="coned1"/> In 1876, he established his first laboratory facility in [[Menlo Park, New Jersey]], where many of his early inventions were developed. He later established a [[botanical]] laboratory in [[Fort Myers, Florida]], in collaboration with businessmen [[Henry Ford]] and [[Harvey S. Firestone]], and a laboratory in [[West Orange, New Jersey]], that featured the world's first [[film studio]], the [[Edison's Black Maria|Black Maria]]. With 1,093 [[List of Edison patents|US patents in his name]], as well as patents in other countries, Edison is regarded as the most [[prolific inventor]] in American history.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/57680178 |title=The Oxford Companion to United States History |date=2001 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-989109-2 |editor-last=Boyer |editor-first=Paul S. |editor-link=Paul S. Boyer |location= |pages=211 |oclc=57680178}}</ref> Edison married twice and fathered six children. He died in 1931 due to complications from [[diabetes]].