Thomas Edison was a prolific inventor whose innovations have had a huge influence on modern life.
Among Edison’s innovations were:
The motion picture camera.
The incandescent light bulb.
The phonograph.
And he improved the telephone and telegraph.
Edison was also an astute businessman, manufacturing his inventions and marketing them to the public.
He acquired well over 1,000 patents during his life (1847-1932) and some of them led to momentous legal battles. For example, Edison’s patent lawsuits sabotaged the early US film industry, reducing production mainly to two companies – Edison, and Biograph, in which he had shares.