15 fun facts about Thomas Edison and his lesser known inventions
Thomas Edison is best known for the light bulb and the phonograph, but some fun facts about Thomas Edison reveal inventions like the electric pen and the talking doll—creations that showcase his boundless curiosity. These lesser-known innovations offer a deeper look into the mind behind the most celebrated name in invention.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key takeaways
- Thomas Edison's profile summary
- Fun facts about Thomas Edison
- 1. Thomas Edison was homeschooled by his mother
- 2. He suffered from early deafness
- 3. Thomas is a prolific inventor with many patents
- 4. He started his entrepreneurial career at 12
- 5. Edison possessed telegraphy skills
- 6. He was married twice
- 7. Edison is the inventor of the phonograph
- 8. He is credited with devising the light bulb
- 9. Thomas is the inventor of the electric power distribution
- 10. He is the innovator of motion pictures
- Thomas Edison's lesser-known inventions
- Why did Edison go deaf?
- What was unusual about Thomas Alva Edison?
Key takeaways
- Thomas Edison invented numerous devices.
- He was among the first inventors to apply the principles of organised science and teamwork to the innovation process, collaborating with other researchers and staff.
- Thomas Edison began his profession as a news butcher, distributing newspapers, candies, and vegetables aboard trains between Port Huron and Detroit.
Thomas Edison's profile summary
| Full name | Thomas Alva Edison |
| Gender | Male |
| Date of birth | 11 February 1847 |
| Date of death | 18 October 1931 |
| Age at the time of death | 84 years old |
| Zodiac sign | Aquarius |
| Place of birth | Milan, Ohio, United States |
| Place of death | West Orange, New Jersey, United States |
| Burial place | Thomas Edison National Historical Park |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Height in feet | 5'10″ |
| Height in centimetres | 178 |
| Weight in pounds | 176 |
| Weight in kilograms | 80 |
| Hair colour | Dark brown |
| Eye colour | Blue-green |
| Marital status | Married |
| Wife | Mina Miller Edison |
| Children | Charles, Thomas Alva Edison Jr., Theodore Miller, Madeleine, William Leslie, Marion Estelle Edison |
| Father | Samuel Ogden Edison, Jr |
| Mother | Nancy Matthews Elliott |
| Siblings | Marion, William Pitt, Harriet Ann, Carlile, Samuel, Eliza |
| Education | Self-educated, The Cooper Union |
| Profession | Inventor, businessman |
| Years active | 1877–1930 |
| Net worth | $12 million |
Fun facts about Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison was a fascinating figure with a life full of interesting idiosyncrasies and tremendous accomplishments. Below are some cool facts about Thomas Edison:
1. Thomas Edison was homeschooled by his mother
Thomas Edison's education was largely unconventional. He was introduced to reading, writing, and mathematics by his mother, a former schoolteacher. Thomas went to school for only a few months. However, according to one biographer, he was an extremely curious boy who learnt the majority of his knowledge from independent reading.
As a child, he was interested in technology and would spend hours at home conducting experiments. Edison enrolled in a chemistry program at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art to supplement his work on a novel telegraphy system with Charles Batchelor. This was his only enrolment in classes at a higher education institution.
Source: UGC
2. He suffered from early deafness
The American investor started having hearing problems when he was 12 years old. His deafness was caused by a case of scarlet fever as a child and subsequent, untreated middle-ear infections. He then created complex fictitious stories concerning the reason for his deafness. Thomas was deaf in one ear and hardly heard in the other.
He would listen to music or piano by pressing his teeth into the wood and absorbing the sound waves into his skull. As he grew older, the American inventor claimed that his hearing loss helped him avoid distractions and concentrate better on his work.
3. Thomas is a prolific inventor with many patents
Thomas Alva Edison is largely acknowledged as one of history's most prolific inventors. According to the Thomas Edison Inventions, he possessed 1,093 US patents and was recognised for his substantial contributions to a variety of industries such as sound recording, electricity, and motion pictures.
Source: Getty Images
4. He started his entrepreneurial career at 12
Edison started his work as a news butcher at the age of 12, selling newspapers, vegetables and candies on trains between Port Huron and Detroit. By the age of 13, he was making $50 a week, the majority of which he used to buy apparatus for chemical and electrical experiments.
5. Edison possessed telegraphy skills
In 1862, at the age of 15, Thomas saved three-year-old Jimmie MacKenzie from being hit by a runaway train. Jimmie's dad, station agent J. U. MacKenzie of Mount Clemens, Michigan, was so appreciative that he educated Edison to be a telegraph operator.
His first telegraphy employment outside of Port Huron was with the Grand Trunk Railway in Stratford Junction, Ontario.
6. He was married twice
The American businessman married twice and had three children from each marriage. He married Mary Stilwell, 16, on 25 December 1871, when he was 24 years old. They had three kids: Marion Estelle, Thomas Alva Edison Jr., and William Leslie. Mary died at the age of 29 on 9 August 1884, from unexplained reasons.
Edison then married Mina Miller, a 20-year-old from Akron, Ohio, on 24 February 1886, at the age of 39. They had three kids together: Madeleine, Charles, and Theodore Miller. Thomas Edison's wife, Mina, died on 24 August 1947.
7. Edison is the inventor of the phonograph
Source: Getty Images
The phonograph, widely regarded as his first big invention and personal favourite, was the first instrument capable of recording and reproducing sound. His first experiment, notably playing back Mary Had a Little Lamb, transformed how people consumed music and information, setting the framework for the whole recording industry.
8. He is credited with devising the light bulb
It is widely believed that Thomas invented the light bulb, however, the Thomas Edison light bulb story is deeper. Edison did not invent the light bulb, however, he made major improvements to existing designs to make it more practical, durable, and financially viable.
His major accomplishments included inventing a high-vacuum bulb, generating a long-lasting carbonised filament, and refining a parallel circuit. This invention transformed daily living by expanding work hours beyond daylight and making interior lighting safe and accessible.
9. Thomas is the inventor of the electric power distribution
On 21 October 1879, Edison invented a profitable electric light bulb and created an electric utility to compete with the preexisting gas light utilities.
On 17 December 1880, he formed the Edison Illuminating Company, and in the 1880s, he invented an electric distribution system. The corporation founded the first investor-owned electricity utility.
10. He is the innovator of motion pictures
Source: Getty Images
Alva was instrumental in the invention of motion pictures. He created the kinetoscope, a peephole device for watching short films, and the kinetograph, an early motion picture camera, in collaboration with his assistant W.K.L. Dickson.
Thomas even created one of the first film production companies, The Black Maria. These inventions were critical in developing the film business and contemporary entertainment.
Thomas Edison's lesser-known inventions
While Thomas Edison is best recognised for the light bulb and the phonograph, his creative intellect produced numerous other innovations, some of which are less well-known but equally fascinating. Here are some fun facts about Thomas Edison's inventions.
1. Thomas invented talking dolls
According to National Park Service, the inventor attempted to make dolls that could "talk" using his phonograph technology. He miniaturised his phonograph and installed it within the dolls' chests, recording nursery rhymes. However, these dolls were not commercially successful.
The wax records gradually wore down, producing distorted and often eerie sounds that terrified kids and adults. They were swiftly discarded, but they remain an intriguing part of Thomas' experimental history.
2. He created the electric pen
Source: Getty Images
A per The Henry Ford, Edison's electric pen was a primitive attempt at document duplication, predating photocopiers. It used a small electric motor to quickly punch small holes in wax paper, making a stencil. Ink may be subsequently rolled over the stencil to make several copies.
Though it was noisy, untidy, and subsequently outperformed by other ways of copying, its percussive operation inspired the contemporary tattoo gun in 1891.
3. Alva invented the electrographic vote recorder
The electrographic vote recorder was Edison's initial patent. He wanted it to speed up legislative voting, but politicians detested it because it prohibited filibustering or last-minute bargains, therefore, it was never implemented.
4. He devised the alkaline storage battery
Edison was an early pioneer of battery technology. According to BBC, he created a more reliable and efficient alkaline storage battery, the nickel-iron battery, that outperformed current lead-acid batteries. These batteries were used in industrial applications and eventually in electric vehicles, indicating his enthusiasm for electric power beyond illumination.
Source: Getty Images
5. Thomas innovated the food preservation method
During his research on vacuum tubes for light bulbs, Alva additionally looked into vacuum sealing for the preservation of food. In 1881, he developed a method for preserving fruits and vegetables by eliminating air from glass containers. This was a pioneering step towards current vacuum-sealed packaging.
Why did Edison go deaf?
Edison started losing his hearing at age 12 due to scarlet fever and untreated middle-ear infections. He later claimed his deafness helped him focus better on his work
What was unusual about Thomas Alva Edison?
Edison had an unusually broad forehead and a larger-than-average head. He was nearly deaf, self-educated, and held a world-record 1,093 patents
Beyond the infamous highlights of the light bulb and phonograph, there are many other fun facts about Thomas Edison. His relentless curiosity and constant innovation resulted in astounding inventions, breakthroughs, and a few failures. From his groundbreaking electric pen to his talking dolls, Thomas's lesser-known projects showcase the diversity of his innovative mind.
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