ThomasAlvaEdison(February11,1847–October18,1931)wasanAmericaninventorandbusinessmanwhodevelopedmanydevicesthatgreatlyinfluencedlifearoundtheworld,includingthephonographandalonglastinglightbulb.Dubbed"TheWizardofMenloPark"byanewspaperreporter,hewasoneofthefirstinventorstoapplytheprinciplesofmassproductiontotheprocessofinvention,andthereforeisoftencreditedwiththecreationofthefirstindustrialresearchlaboratory. 　　Edisonisconsideredoneofthemostprolificinventorsinhistory,holding1,093U.S.patentsinhisname,aswellasmanypatentsintheUnitedKingdom,FranceandGermany. 　　ThomasEdisonwasborninMilan,OhioandwasraisedinPortHuron,Michigan.HewastheseventhandlastchildofSamuelOgdenEdison,Jr.(1804–1896)(borninMarshalltown,NovaScotia,Canada)andNancyMatthewsEdisonneeElliott(1810–1871).HisfamilywasofDutchorigin. 　　Inschool,theyoungEdison'smindoftenwandered,andhisteachertheReverendEnglewasoverheardcallinghim"addled."ThisendedEdison'sthreemonthsofofficialschooling.Herecalledlater,"Mymotherwasthemakingofme.Shewassotrue,sosureofme;andIfeltIhadsomethingtolivefor,someoneImustnotdisappoint."Hismotherthenhomeschooledhim.MuchofhiseducationcamefromreadingR.G.Parker'sSchoolofNaturalPhilosophy. 　　ThecauseofEdison'sdeafnesshasbeenattributedtoaboutofscarletfeverduringchildhoodandrecurringuntreatedmiddleearinfections.Edisonaroundthemiddleofhiscareerattributedthehearinglosstobeingstruckontheearsbyatrainconductorwhenhischemicallabinaboxcarcaughtfire.Inhislateryearshemodifiedthestorytosaytheinjuryoccurredwhentheconductor,inhelpinghimontoamovingtrain,liftedhimbytheears. 　　Edison'sfamilywasforcedtomovetoPortHuron,MichiganwhentherailroadbypassedMilanin1854,buthislifetherewasbittersweet.ThisbeganEdison'slongstreakofentrepreneurialventuresashediscoveredhistalentsasabusinessman.ThesetalentswouldeventuallyleadhimtofoundGeneralElectric,whichisstillapubliclytradedcompany,and13othercompanies.HesoldcandyandnewspapersontrainsrunningfromPortHurontoDetroit,aswellasvegetablesthathesoldtosupplementhisincome. 　　Edisonbecameatelegraphoperatorafterhesavedthree-year-oldJimmieMacKenziefrombeingstruckbyarunawaytrain.Jimmie'sfather,stationagentJ.U.MacKenzieofMountClemens,Michigan,wassogratefulthathetrainedEdisonasatelegraphoperator.Edison'sfirsttelegraphyjobawayfromPortHuronwasatStratfordJunction,OntarioontheGrandTrunkRailway.In1866,attheageof19,ThomasEdisonmovedtoLouisville,KentuckyasanemployeeofWesternUnionworkingtheAssociatedPressBureaunewswire.Edisonrequestedthenightshiftatworkwhichallowedhimplentyoftimetospendathistwofavoritepastimes--readingandexperimenting.However,itwasthelatterthateventuallycosthimhisjob.Onenightin1867,hewasworkingwithabatterywhenhespilledsulphuricacidontothefloor.Itranbetweenthefloorboardsandontohisboss'deskbelow.Thenextmorninghewasfired. 　　ThomasEdisonbeganhiscareerasaninventorinNewark,NewJersey,withtheautomaticrepeaterandhisotherimprovedtelegraphicdevices,buttheinventionwhichfirstgainedhimfamewasthephonographin1877.Thisaccomplishmentw