Proposal

The purpose of this proposal is to explore the notable person of Thomas Edison. How was Thomas Edison "notable"? He was a scientific visionary, responsible for creating many inventions which are still relevant today. These include the humble light bulb which without, we would have been kept in the dark, no pun intended. Other creations included the Gramaphone, film and the first movie camera. Imagine a world without movies like The Matrix and Avengers!? These inventions are just a small snap shot of the other 17 well known inventions which Thomas Edison created. It is said that Thomas Edison's last breath is kept in a glass bottle that was given to his mentee, Henry Ford.  

 

I consider it important to delve into Thomas Edison's early life and background to understand how he became a notable being. What kind of upbringing did he have? Who inspired him to follow his dreams? These are just a few questions I will research at a later time to truly obtain an understanding of this great man. From my initial findings, we know that Thomas Edison was born on the 11 of February 1847. His parents were Nancy Elliot and his father was Samuel Edison Jr. I have not been able to find much else of his childhood. However, in 1863 he began studying in the telegraph industry when the only source of electricity was small primitive batteries that emitted small electric currents. Could this have been the single inspiring moment which prompted Thomas Edison to dream of man's most important invention?  

 

The light bulb is probably the most well-known and thought of invention in history. Thomas Edison's first working light bulb lasted for 12 hours before dying. Thomas Edison was extremely hard working and optimistic. He didn’t quit when failing and didn’t get angry. One of his greatest lines was "I have not failed, I just have found 1000 ways not to make a light bulb." This simple line shows great patience and wisdom of this amazing character. One other quote I have found in my research which demonstrates the character of this extraordinary man is, " I didn’t fail 1000 times. The light bulb is an invention with 1000 steps."  

 

Thomas Edison's greatest invention, the light bulb is just the tip of the iceberg. I propose to cover many more amazing triumphs and quirky facts in this presentation. For instance did you know that without the light bulb we would have needed to use fire and store hundreds of candles which are the equivalent of one light bulb? And if the light bulb had never existed, a many other electrical inventions would never have happened. Thomas Edison's inventions were so varied and unique. He created something to do with light and something to do with music. The Gramaphone is an example, as without, recorded music might of only existed much, much later, or not at all.