Thomas Edison was an American inventor, scientist, and businessman who developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the
phonograph, the
motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric
light bulb. Dubbed "The Wizard of Menlo Park" (now
Edison, New Jersey) by a newspaper reporter, he was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of
mass production and large teamwork to the process of invention, and therefore is often credited with the creation of the first industrial research laboratory.
Edison is considered one of the most
prolific inventors in history, holding 1,093
US patents in his name, as well as many patents in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. He is credited with numerous inventions that contributed to
mass communication and, in particular,
telecommunications. These included a stock ticker, a mechanical vote recorder, a battery for an electric car, electrical power, recorded music and motion pictures. His advanced work in these fields was an outgrowth of his early career as a
telegraphoperator. Edison originated the concept and implementation of electric-power generation and distribution to homes, businesses, and factories – a crucial development in the modern industrialized world. His first
power station was on
Manhattan Island, New York.
Some of Edison's most significant inventions the motion camera and light bulb.