Thomas Edison's Inventions

Credited to be one of the greatest inventors of all time, Thomas Alva Edison, with a record number of 1093 patents, has a place in the annals of history. It is indeed impossible to imagine the existence of this world without the significant contributions made by this pure genius.

Known as the 'Wizard of Menlo Park', Thomas Edison filed his first patent on October 21, 1868 at the age of 21. Born in Ohio, USA in 1847, Edison was said to have learning difficulty in his childhood.

However, defying all critics, Thomas Edison blossomed to become one of the greatest inventors of all time. Edison invented a wide range of things, from a simple electric bulb, phonograph, telegraph, to artificial carbolic acid preparation and improvements in the X-ray machines. His inventions revolutionized our lifestyle and triggered growth and development.

Among 1093 patents of Mr. Edison, several were improved versions of many older inventions. It is still said that Edison improved the earlier light bulb that was used in those times and came up with a much better and productive light bulb. The timeline of his inventions spanned throughout his life. He dedicated his entire life to research and inventions.

1868
Filed a patent application for his first invention, electric vote recorder.

1874
Major financial success for Edison as he invented the quadruplex telegraph. This invention is said to have helped the firm Western Union to save a huge amount of money by increasing the number of messages a company could send without building new lines.

1875
With an electric pen, a small battery, and an ink supply, the 'autographic press kit' helped businesses to make copies of documents.

1877
Hailed to be Edison's favorite work, phonograph was a major breakthrough in helping people listen to songs and play music. With experiments on disks and tape, Edison invented the most famous phonograph. Edison also worked on a transmitter that helped in better transfer of voices and improved Bell's telephone services.

1878
Edison worked on improving electric light bulb invented by Sir Joesph Swan in England in 1878. Edison worked to improve the filament of the bulb so that it could burn brighter. He changed various features in the electric bulb and by working on electric bulbs, Edison gave this world one of the most reliable man-made sources of light.

1880
In Edison Lamp Works, Menlo Park, commercial production of electric lamps is carried out.

1882
Edison files application for patent of 53 applications. The patents are filed for numerous inventions like electric lighting, electric railways, and secondary batteries.

1885
In this year, Edison patented nearly 17 inventions for telegraph and telephone systems.

1888
Filed for patent of 22 applications that include cylindrical records and photograph equipment.

1891
Kinetoscope and Kinetograph, one of the earliest motion picture devices, were filed for patent by Edison.

1896
Edison Home Phonograph is introduced in the market by Edison. This phonograph was a spring moor driven phonograph.

1902
Edison used several of Edison storage batteries in his specially designed electric vehicles. The most popular alkaline storage batteries got a kick-start after this.

1906
The famed Royal Academy of Sciences in Sweden awards Edison a gold medal for his inventions in phonograph and incandescent bulb.

The list of his inventions is certainly exhaustive. The sheer genius of Edison continues to make our life easier, and his contribution in improving life around us is truly remarkable. Reading his biography will give you a deep insight about perseverance, determination, and indomitable spirit that made him succeed.

Edison showed the world that initial failures should not deter us from our goals. To quote his most popular words: "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." The world salutes this inventor!