Thomas Edison was born on February 11, 1847 in Milan, Ohio. He was the seventh and the youngest son in his family. At his young age, Edison was told by his teacher that he was not smart enough to be in school, so his mother, a former teacher, pulled him out of school, and guided his learning herself. Unlike other children, Edison received limited formal education. Reading soon became a big hobby of young Edison’s. He loved to read books, especially ones about science. His reading eventually led him to experiment with chemicals and to construct elaborate model. A shattered piece of glass had accidentally flied into Edison’s ear as he was experimenting when he was 13, and his hearing condition worsened ever since.

Edison’s family was not rich; while other kids were playing, little Edison would be trying to make some money for his family. Even as a child, Edison was venturesome in business. He grew vegetables in the garden and sold them at the town’s market. Edison began to sell newspapers, candy, and sandwiches on passenger trains and at stops at the age 12. At age 15, he published and sold a newspaper named Weekly Herald.

When Edison was seven, his mother nearly died from appendicitis, because Edison’s house was too dim to have a surgery. Candles were only the light sources back then, and they were only for the rich to buy. Edison came up with an idea of putting several mirrors beside his mother’s bed, therefore, as light been reflected off each mirror, the room would become bright enough to have the surgery. This incident inspired young Edison to invent something brighter and cheaper than candles, which was later to become the electric light bulb.

In 1863, Edison started working as a telegraph operator, because he rescued the son of a worker in the Western Union Telegraph Company. The work experience had proved to be most helpful in his later inventions.

Thomas Edison had invented two most important inventions in his life, the phonograph (1876-1877) and the practical electric lighting (1879). After many experiments with platinum and other metal filaments, Edison returned to a carbon filament. In October, 1879, he successfully tested a carbon filament made from burned sewing thread, which would produce the best light and it could last for 40 hours. This was the very first practical incandescent light bulb ever appeared.  Further study was continued on, and after few months the patent was granted, Edison and his team discovered a carbonized bamboo filament that could last over 1200 hours.

The electric light bulb had been a great success to Edison. Edison became known as the “Father of Electric Light Bulbs” to the rest of the world. After the practical electric light bulb was invented, not only the rich could have enough light in the night anymore. Edison had brought a brighter world to us.

Edison died on October 21, 1931 in bed at his home in Llewellyn Park of several illnesses. At the request of President Hoover, lights in people’s houses were all dimmed on the date Edison past away, including the White House, as the remembrance of the great inventor.