Born: Milan, Ohio

Occupation: Inventor, entrepreneur, project manager, technology leader, manufacturer, businessman

Accomplishments: 1,093 patents

Major industries impacted:

• music industry (phonographs)
• motion pictures (camera to projector)
• power industry/electric light bulb
• the West Orange invention factory [R&D labs]

Championed and built [100 years ago]:

• electric vehicles
• storage batteries
• in-garage charging stations
• revamped the concrete industry with new and larger kiln designs (Portland Cement)
• major improvements to telephone in collaboration with Alexander Graham Bell

Most Recognized Edison Quote: “I have not failed 10,000 times. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

Impact on the World:

• The technology, inventions and industries that he created still account for $1.5 trillion of U.S. economy [about 10% of U.S. GDP]; about 4 times that for world economy
• Life Magazine [1996] proclaimed him the “Man of the Millennium”
• TIME Magazine featured him on cover of special July 2010 history issue-proclaiming him so relevant to our world today
• Voice of America claims Edison’s technology is responsible for one-fourth of all the world’s jobs
• He is the human icon for invention and creativity
• Inspiration to generations of inventors and entrepreneurs

His multi-dimensional, multi-disciplinary method of problem solving has become the taproot for the hands-on, problem solving paradigm known as STEM, now sweeping the nation’s schools

FANS – Acknowledged Edison during their career

• Steve Jobs, Apple
• Jeff Bezos, Amazon
• Google Team, Innovators
• Bon Jovi, Musician
• Tony Hsieh, Zappos CEO

FURTHER INFORMATION ON THOMAS ALVA EDISON
WWW.THOMASEDISON.ORG
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