Let’s dive into the amazing world of Thomas Alva Edison, the 🌟 genius inventor 🌟!
He invented the light bulb !!
Imagine a world without light at the flick of a switch 😱!
Edison was also a great inventor of many other cool things.
So, let’s embark on this exciting journey and learn more about Thomas Alva Edison!
Have fun exploring!
Interesting Thomas Edison Facts
The Amazing Journey of Thomas Edison
Hey there, little fact reader 🤗!
Thomas Edison, the super cool inventor, was born on February 11, 1847, in Milan, Ohio.
He had six siblings, making him the youngest of the bunch.
Wow, that’s like having a whole squad of brothers and sisters !
But you know what even more amazing 😮 is?
Despite getting scarlet fever as a child, which affected his hearing, he became one of the most famous inventors in the United States 💡!
Edison’s Family Life: Two Wives and Six Kids
Thomas Edison had an interesting personal life too.
He got married to Mary when he was 24, and she was 16.
They had three children together.
Sadly 😢, Mary passed away when she was only 29.
From Newspaper Kid to Telegraph Hero
When Thomas Edison was just 12 years old, he started making his very own newspaper 📰.
He would sell it on the train 🚉, along with candy 🍬 and magazines 📚! But guess what?
Something extraordinary happened to him one day.
In 1862, he saved a little boy named Jimmie Mackenzie from getting hit by a train 🚉!
Edison was so brave and quick-thinking !
Because of this heroic act, Jimmie’s dad, James Mackenzie, offered to teach him how to use a telegraph.
And that, my friend, changed Edison’s life forever!
Edison Did Chemistry Experiments on a Train
Hey, little fact explorer, Edison loved science so much that he conducted chemistry experiments on a train 🚂.
When he worked selling newspapers on the train, he used his downtime to run cool experiments with a secret set he snuck on board.
Sadly, he had a chemistry 🔬 accident once, and they didn’t let him bring his set anymore.
But that didn’t stop his curiosity 😮!
Edison’s Innovative Battery for Electric Cars
Did you know that in 1901, Thomas Edison created a special battery called the nickel-iron battery 🔋?
He thought it would be great for electric cars 🚗!
But unfortunately, electric cars weren’t as popular back then, and people started using gasoline and steam instead ⛽️.
Edison and Tesla: Electric Current Clash
Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla, two famous inventors, actually worked together😮.
They disagreed on how electricity should be used.
Edison liked direct current (DC), while Tesla preferred alternating current (AC).
Eventually, Tesla left Edison’s company because they couldn’t agree on the best way forward.
Lighting Up the World with His Bright Idea
Let me tell you an illuminating story about Thomas Alva Edison and his awesome invention 🌟!
Did you know that he’s famous for inventing the light bulb 💡?
But guess what? Before Edison, there were already some light bulb 💡 models, but they had some issues.
They either didn’t last long or needed a lot of electricity.
So, clever Edison decided to give it a makeover 💡!
He changed how it used electricity and the materials used.
And he created the modern incandescent light bulb we use today!
Edison Lights Up New York City
You won’t believe this, but Thomas Edison 👦 was also the first person to bring electricity ⚡️ into people’s homes through a company!
After he improved the light bulb 💡, he started the Edison Illuminating Company.
And brought electricity ⚡️ to his first 59 customers in Manhattan in 1882.
Phonograph: Edison’s Magical Invention
Guess what? Thomas Edison became famous for inventing something called the phonograph 🎵!
He made it in 1877, and it recorded sounds on special paper using a stylus.
People were amazed by it and started calling him “The Wizard of Menlo Park.”
It must have seemed like magic to them ✨!
Edison Recorded A Nursery Rhyme on the Phonograph
Hey there, little fact reader! Did you know that Thomas Edison, the famous inventor, recorded 🎙️ the first ever sound 📣 on a phonograph 🎶?
And guess what he chose to record?
“Mary Had a Little Lamb” 🐑!
That’s right, and this popular nursery rhyme became the first thing ever captured on a phonograph 🎶.
Isn’t that cool 🤩?
Edison’s Early Adventures in Filmmaking
Did you know that besides being an inventor, Thomas Edison was also involved in making some of the earliest motion pictures 🎥?
In July 1894, at his production studio called the Black Maria, Edison produced one of the earliest known cat videos 🎬!
It showed two cats 🐈 in a boxing ring, wearing gloves and playfully sparring.
So Edison was not only a genius, but he also had a sense of humor! 😄
Thomas Edison Suggested Using “Hello” on the Telephone
Hey, ever wonder why we say “hello” 📞 when we answer the phone ☎️?
Well, back in the day, it wasn’t always the case!
Before that, people would say things like “Are you there?” or “Do I get you?” when picking up the telephone.
But guess who suggested using “hello”?
It was Thomas Edison!
He wrote a letter to Graham Bell in 1877 suggesting that “hello” could be heard from 10 to 20 feet away.
And the rest is telephone history 📝!
Edison Road Tripped with his Pal Henry Ford 🌟
Thomas Edison and Henry Ford 🚗 were great pals 😄.
They became friend’s 👬 when they met in 1896 at Detroit’s Edison Illuminating Company, where Ford worked.
They even went on vacations together 🚗!
Imagine the fun they had exploring the country in Ford’s gasoline-powered vehicle 🚗. Talk about a dynamic duo!
Edison Had a Crew of Inventors at Menlo Park
Here’s a fascinating fact about Edison
He didn’t work alone! 🤝
He had a whole crew 👥of inventors 🧪 at Menlo Park.
While he gets credit for many inventions, he would actually patent his ideas.
And then hire talented inventors 👥 to turn them into working prototypes.
Ford Had a Test Tube from Edison’s Death Chamber
Legend has it that Henry Ford asked for a unique memento 🌬️ from his dear friend Edison.
He requested a test tube containing Edison’s last breath!
However, the truth is a bit different.
Edison’s son, Charles, noticed a rack of test tubes 🧪in his father’s room.
So when Edison passed away, he had them sealed.
One was offered to Ford to remember their shared love for chemistry and Ford’s accomplishments.
The End of Edison’s Journey
Towards the end of his life, Edison’s health declined, and he eventually passed away from complications related to diabetes 😔.
At the age of 84, on 18h October 1931, in his home in West Orange, New Jersey, Edison peacefully left this world ⚰️.
Before his final moments ⏳, he briefly woke up from a coma.
And said his last words: “It is very beautiful over there.”
Summing up
What an incredible adventure we had learning about Thomas Alva Edison, the 🌟 genius inventor 🌟!
From the light bulb to numerous other inventions, he truly left a lasting impact on the world 🌍.
To know more about such interesting facts, visit our website 🌐!
I’m a former teacher (and mother of Two Childs) with a background in child development. Here to help you with play-based learning activities for kids. ( Check my Next startup Cledemy.Com)
