Thomas Edison: The Father of Inventions

Thomas Edison: The Father of Inventions

-           “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration”  - Thomas Edison

-          “I don’t know anyone who has got to the top without hard work. That is the recipe, it may not always get you to the top, but should get you pretty near” – Margaret Thatcher

The popular Thomas Edison Alva, generally branded the “father of invention,” was born in 1847 in Milan, Ohio in the United States as the last of a family of seven. He remains the greatest inventor of all times and his life has great challenges for us today. Let us briefly look through his life then and see what lessons we can learn from him.

Edison had nearly no academic background almost like no other person as he was opportune to go to school for only three months in 1854. His mother however taught him how to read and write. Edison recalled, “My mother was the making of me. She was so true, so sure of me and I felt I had something to live for, someone I must not disappoint”. His mother homeschooled him, but on his own, he started to be very hardworking from a very tender age. When he was still very young, he read through many notable and important books, equivalence of what could be termed ‘self-training’. For instance, at age twelve, he had gone through ‘Gibbon’s Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire’, completed ‘Sear’s History of the World,’ ‘Burton’s Anatomy of Melancholy,’ ‘The World’s Dictionary of Science,’ and a number of works on practical chemistry. This certainly is more than commendable for a boy of his age.

As if born to be unfortunate, Edison still at twelve lost his hearing due to an attack of scarlet fever (a childhood disease). But his habit of hard work got him a job to sell apples, candy and newspaper at a railway station. His experience here could best be described as ‘bitter-sweet’. At fifteen, and still working at the railway station, he bought a small printing press and soon began to produce newspaper, the weekly herald, which he edited, printed and sold at the railroad.

Around this time also, Edison was reported to have rescued a three-year old boy, who was the son of the station master from being struck by a runaway train. The father of the boy was so grateful that he taught Edison how to operate the telegraph (a device used in sending messages over a long distance). This event was to change his story as Edison the telegrapher.

At about the age of thirty, Thomas Edison began his career as an inventor. His earliest inventions were related to telegraphy. He improved on telegraphic devices, but the invention which first gained him recognition was the phonograph (record player). This accomplishment was said to be unexpected by the public and appeared almost magical for which Edison became known as “the wizard…”

Edison was well known to be exceptionally focused and determined. Consequently he succeeded in making over one thousand inventions. Some of these in addition to the phonograph include, the first industrial research laboratory, electrical vote recorder, automatic telegraph system, motograph, electric pen, the carbon rheostat, microtasimeter, carbon telephone, transmitter “button” which led to the development of the microphone, also making early radio possible. Others are workable incandescent light bulb, construction of first practical generators, sockets, meters, switches, paper tape, and insulating tape. He constructed the first electric motor, invented the magnetic ore separator, and discovered an unknown phenomenon which later became known as Edison effect, a foundational principle upon which radio, television, and computer transistors are based. He invented wireless system of communication, motion picture camera, and machine for breaking rocks, fluoroscope, alkaline storage battery, telescribe and so many other things.

Thomas Edison’s attitude to work was an unenviable one as he worked with extraordinary intensity. He lived in his laboratory, slept for only four hours per day. He would keep awake at a stretch for as long as forty-eight hours and even seventy-two hours especially whenever his experiments were near completion.

He conducted thousands of experiments. In fact two of his past times were said to be “reading and experimenting”. He was indeed a ferocious reader as he would first exhaust all literatures on the subject he intended to work on. His method follows his own popular statement, “genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration”.

In recognition of his record breaking but yet to be broken achievements and inventions, Edison received honours and awards from all parts of the world.

-         In 1881, he was awarded the French Legion of Honour for developing electric power distribution system.

-          Italy made him a grand officer of the crown in 1889

-         He received awards from the governments of Chile, Britain, Russia, Japan, and many other nations.

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-       Henry Ford (founder of the ford motor and an American business man), spent millions of dollars to erect a    museum of industry consisting largely of Edison’s inventions.

-     When Edison died in 1931, the United States government considered turning off all electric current in the country for a minute or two as a tribute to him.

It is needless to ask whether or not Thomas Edison had major challenges. In fact he had catalogues of them. In addition to those earlier noted, here is one of his major setbacks...........

Challenges in the life of Thomas Edison
Courage in Crisis: Thomas Edison's Story
Dogged Determination: A closer look at Thomas Edison