In 1868, he submitted his first patent request for an Electrographic Vote Recorder.Įdison’s invention consisted of a device on which all legislator’s names were listed. Edison believed he could invent a machine that would be much more objective in its counting. Legislation was deemed either passed or not passed on the sole basis of a voice vote.
He concentrated his efforts on a way to quickly and accurately tabulate votes placed on various pieces of legislation. Soon after arriving in Boston, Edison, along with other inventors, began working on ways to assist state and federal legislative bodies work more efficiently. Hold it, this can’t be the right picture. He settled in Boston, Massachusetts, where he submitted his first patent. He was confident by this time that he could make a living as an inventor. After returning to Michigan for a short time, Edison left for the east coast. Not one to be satisfied doing the same thing over and over, Edison began working on the telegraph equipment in attempts to improve its performance. The need for skilled telegraph operators was great as the Civil War was underway. He decided to teach Edison all about railway telegraphy, leading to a full-time job for the teenager.įor the next five years, Edison traveled across the country as a telegrapher. When the boy’s father realized what Edison had done, he tried to think of a way to adequately repay him for his heroism. Realizing he had to do something, Edison managed to push the little boy out of harm’s way just before the train reached them.
Edison, who just happened to be at the Mount Clemens Train Depot that day saw a runaway train bearing down on the child. Jimmie MacKenzie, the three-year old son of a railroad station master, had wandered away and ended up on the railroad tracks. He was able to drown out the constant noise of everyday conversations and was thus able to work more efficiently.Īs fate would have it, Edison experienced a life-changing moment at the very tracks on which he had spent his early teen years. He also felt it eliminated distractions while he was working. He claimed it allowed him to get much better sleep than most. By his own admission, Edison actually saw his hearing loss as a positive thing. While Edison did dabble in it for a bit, his efforts were far less than wholehearted. Many were surprised that Edison did not help his own cause by inventing an effective hearing aid. Edison claims to have felt something click in his inner ear and began having hearing difficulties after that. Edison himself believed his disability may have been caused when someone, attempting to keep him from falling off a moving train, grabbed him by the ears. It is also reported that a train conductor struck Edison on both ears as punishment for one of his experiments causing a fire on the railroad train. Although his father and one of his son’s suffered from hearing loss as well, indicating it was a genetic condition, there were several incidents in his life that may have made the disability even worse.Įdison suffered from scarlet fever, and it is suspected that he had numerous untreated ear infections since there were no antibiotics available at the time for that condition. While the exact cause is unclear, Edison’s sense of hearing began to decline at the age of 12. One of the country’s most prolific inventors, Thomas Edison achieved great success while suffering from a severe disability for much of his life. Edison credited his mother for shaping the person he became. This set him on a path of constant self-improvement which he continued throughout his life. He began to realize that his learning possibilities were endless and he could actually teach himself anything he wished. Edison helped him to channel his energy in a positive direction. By teaching her son reading, writing and arithmetic and allowing him to pursue any subject of interest, Mrs. Nancy Edison supported her son’s insatiable thirst for knowledge. Edison quickly removed him from the school and assumed the role of home school educator. Upon learning of this characterization of her son, Edison’s mother was very angry.
He was unable to sit still for very long and was uncomfortable with the school’s rigid environment.Īfter attending school for only 12 weeks, Edison had established himself as a difficult student, and his teacher deemed him unmanageable.
EDISON 5 FACTS FULL
Full of curiosity from a very early age, Edison was always asking questions and had difficulty keeping his attention focused on the task at hand. Between his illnesses and his family’s move to Port Huron, Michigan, he was unable to begin school until the age of seven.
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