Thomas A. Edison

Thomas Edison was an American inventor and businessman who worked on early motion pictures. Born in Milan, Ohio, he grew up in Michigan and had little formal schooling. He began as a railroad telegrapher and sold a few early inventions before he moved to New York City and concentrated on engineering. He gained international fame with the phonograph, which took years to become a commercial success. At Menlo Park he established what was considered the first industrial research laboratory, and he later built a larger lab in West Orange, New Jersey. He developed an electrical lighting system, and competition with Westinghouse's AC system led to the creation of General Electric. He also began work on a motion picture camera, which grew into the first movie production studio. His companies produced batteries, movies, musical records, and phenol, and he later pursued mining and cement ventures. He died in 1931.