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| | *Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. | | *Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. |
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| − | This homeschooler changed the world, and is considered by many historians to have been the most influential person in the entire world over the ''last millennium'' (1000 years). Known as the "Wizard of Menlo Park," which is a town in northern New Jersey next to the town named after him (Edison), Edison did his best work in New Jersey. One historian wrote about him:<ref name="Edison">From "The Heroes Of The Age: Electricity And Man," http://www.thomasedison.com/biography.html</ref> | + | This homeschooler changed the world, and was ranked by Life magazine as the most influential person in the entire world over the ''last millennium'' (1000 years). Known as the "Wizard of Menlo Park," which is a town in northern New Jersey next to the town named after him (Edison), Edison did his best work in New Jersey. One historian wrote about him:<ref name="Edison">From "The Heroes Of The Age: Electricity And Man," http://www.thomasedison.com/biography.html</ref> |
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| | :"Thomas Edison was more responsible than any one else for creating the modern world .... No one did more to shape the physical/cultural makeup of present day civilization.... Accordingly, he was the most influential figure of the millennium. ..." | | :"Thomas Edison was more responsible than any one else for creating the modern world .... No one did more to shape the physical/cultural makeup of present day civilization.... Accordingly, he was the most influential figure of the millennium. ..." |
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| | * an ''automated'' telegraph system | | * an ''automated'' telegraph system |
| − | * improved the telephone so that it would be practical | + | * a mouthpiece transmitted to make the telephone practical |
| | * an office copying machine (mimeograph) | | * an office copying machine (mimeograph) |
| | * stock ticker for Wall Street | | * stock ticker for Wall Street |
| − | * a practical light bulb<ref>In 1879, Edison invented the light bulb in Menlo Park, New Jersey, where this is a monument to his honor and a small museum. By 1882, Edison was able to light up New York City, and by 1898 there were 3,000 electrical generators nationwide.</ref> | + | * phonograph (record player) (1877) |
| − | * the generation of electricity as power | + | * a practical light bulb (1879)<ref>In 1879, Edison invented the light bulb in Menlo Park, New Jersey, where this is a monument to his honor and a small museum. By 1882, Edison was able to light up New York City, and by 1898 there were 3,000 electrical generators nationwide.</ref> |
| | + | * the electric power station (1882) |
| | * the industrial research laboratory | | * the industrial research laboratory |
| − | * phonograph (record player)
| + | * motion pictures (movies) (1889) |
| − | * motion pictures (movies) | |
| | * fluoroscopes (used for X-rays today) | | * fluoroscopes (used for X-rays today) |
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| | + | Self-employed, Edison created one marvelous invention after another, acquiring more than 1300 U.S. and foreign patents throughout his life. The wealth generated by Edison's work is unfathomable. |
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| | A biographer credited Edison's "highly individualistic style of acquiring knowledge that eventually led him to question scores of the prevailing theories on the workings of electricity."<ref name="Edison"/> Edison's success was not caused by an special advantages: his family was poor and Edison himself was nearly totally deaf. Imagine that: the inventor of the record player was deaf! We should remember that the next time we resort to excuses for not accomplishing what we could have. | | A biographer credited Edison's "highly individualistic style of acquiring knowledge that eventually led him to question scores of the prevailing theories on the workings of electricity."<ref name="Edison"/> Edison's success was not caused by an special advantages: his family was poor and Edison himself was nearly totally deaf. Imagine that: the inventor of the record player was deaf! We should remember that the next time we resort to excuses for not accomplishing what we could have. |