http://web.archive.org/web/20010407195307/http://205.160.191.2/~nfn04538/index.htm

A web site dedicated to Thomas Alva Edison. Born in Milan Ohio, February 11, 1847.

In his early years Edison served as a telegrapher working from the southern United States to Canada. He started work on improving the telegraph which led to his invention of the automatic telegraph, duplex telegraph and message printer. These inventions led Edison to begin a new career of fulltime inventor. Thomas Edison moved to New York and set up a laboratory in Newark New Jersey. He continued his work on the telegraph and his ideas gave birth to the Universal Stock Printer.

1875 Edison built a new laboratory in Menlo Park. Here Edison invented the carbon-button transmitter, and the cylinder phonograph. With the help and backing of JP Morgan and others, Edison opened the Edison Electric Company.

1879 Thomas Edison unveiled his incandescent light bulb. As the 1880's began Edison planned and supervised the construction of the first commercial, central power system in lower Manhattan. In 1883 an engineer in Edison's laboratory made a discovery which eventually led to the electron tube. This discovery was patented as "The Edison Effect". The Edison phonograph, the kinetoscope, storage battery, electric pen, mimeograph and many other new inventions sprang to life from Edison's idea's, sometimes by plan, other times by accident.

In his life Thomas Edison patented 1093 of his inventions. He died at his West Orange, New Jersey home on October 18, 1931.