Posted on 12/31/2004 11:18:57 AM PST by mdittmar
In the first public demonstration of his incandescent lightbulb, American inventor Thomas Alva Edison lights up a street in Menlo Park, New Jersey. The Pennsylvania Railroad Company ran special trains to Menlo Park on the day of the demonstration in response to public enthusiasm over the event.
Although the first incandescent lamp had been produced 40 years earlier, no inventor had been able to come up with a practical design until Edison embraced the challenge in the late 1870s. After countless tests, he developed a high-resistance carbon-thread filament that burned steadily for hours and an electric generator sophisticated enough to power a large lighting system.
Born in Milan, Ohio, in 1847, Edison received little formal schooling, which was customary for most Americans at the time. He developed serious hearing problems at an early age, and this disability provided the motivation for many of his inventions. At age 16, he found work as a telegraph operator and soon was devoting much of his energy and natural ingenuity toward improving the telegraph system itself. By 1869, he was pursuing invention full-time and in 1876 moved into a laboratory and machine shop in Menlo Park, New Jersey.
Edison's experiments were guided by his remarkable intuition, but he also took care to employ assistants who provided the mathematical and technical expertise he lacked. At Menlo Park, Edison continued his work on the telegraph, and in 1877 he stumbled on one of his great inventions--the phonograph--while working on a way to record telephone communication. Public demonstrations of the phonograph made the Yankee inventor world famous, and he was dubbed the "Wizard of Menlo Park."
Although the discovery of a way to record and play back sound ensured him a place in the annals of history, the phonograph was only the first of several Edison creations that would transform late 19th-century life. Among other notable inventions, Edison and his assistants developed the first practical incandescent lightbulb in 1879 and a forerunner of the movie camera and projector in the late 1880s. In 1887, he opened the world's first industrial research laboratory at West Orange, where he employed dozens of workers to investigate systematically a given subject.
Perhaps his greatest contribution to the modern industrial world came from his work in electricity. He developed a complete electrical distribution system for light and power, set up the world's first power plant in New York City, and invented the alkaline battery, the first electric railroad, and a host of other inventions that laid the basis for the modern electrical world. One of the most prolific inventors in history, he continued to work into his 80s and acquired 1,093 patents in his lifetime. He died in 1931 at the age of 84.
How time flys,thanks Mr.Edison
Pay attention, media people.
This is what authentically talented people look like.
No, it's not enough just to pronounce yourself "the best and the brightest."
Thank goodness ambulance chasing was not yet very profitable in those days. We would have lost Edison and other brainiacs to the legal profession.
Or how about the FDA?
They would have banned the light bulb because there was a risk of electrocution.
It seems strange that two of my grandparents were five years old before the light bulb was invented (and I'm not *that* old myself). Of course it probably took a while before electric light was widespread, so most of their youth must have been spent in a world of gas light and lanterns.
I grew up in Edison, New Jersey, formerly Raritan Twp. For the record the first street illuminated by electric light was Christie St. I lived about two miles from there. There is a large light tower their which was recently renovated. It stands on the spot where the the "practical" light bulb was perfected. Local historical society is trying to raise and secure funds to renovate a very small "museum" on the site. This building is much smaller than most highway reststop bathrooms.
Marconi invented the radio, not Edison.
Only mention of radio is yours?
I know. But I just wanted that on record.
Strange to think a mammoth walked where I walk.
We are but a second in the time of history.
Only mention of radio is yours?
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Maybe he meant "railroad" (wink wink)
What's next, flying machines?
C'mon......
;)
It's nice to be able to walk among history,it should be taught more and rewritten less.
We are but a second in the time of history.
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Millisecond? More likely Gigasecond !!!
See you next year !!! ;-))
Mabel Clare Crawford Date: September 16, 2004 Publication: Yakima Herald-Republic (WA)
FAIRBANKS, ALASKA - Mabel Clare Crawford was born in Davenport, Washington on November 6, 1903 and died on September 12, 2004 in Fairbanks, Alaska. She was at home, with her family beside her, when she left us early on a glorious fall day. She lived nearly 101 years, of which every day was a gift to her family. Her joy of life, her optimism, her unconditional love and sense of humor were what made her a beloved daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother.
BTTT
The sad part is, mdittmar, that there were dozens of buildings on this site that simply were left to decay. They were razed and homes were built. When I was a kid my dad drove me through the area and it was fascinating. The local volunteer fire company, which T. Edison founded, has a service at the monument to mark his birthday each year. Although Edison is serviced by a fulltime paid department, of which I am a member, volunteers still exist in the town and that's where all our new hires come from rather than civil service. The West Orange, NJ site was fully restored with Federal dollars aand is an interesting place to visit. The shame is the Edison site was the "birthplace" of recorded sound and also where the lightbulb was finally perfected.
Yes, one of Edison's more amusing inventions.
Neither did Marconi. He used someone else’s work.
Professor Hertz was his biggest source
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