Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931) is an American inventor and businessman.

He develops many devices that greatly influence 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" by a newspaper reporter, he is one of the first inventors to apply the principles of mass production and large-scale teamwork to the process of invention, and because of that, he is often credited with the creation of the first industrial research laboratory.

Edison is the fourth most prolific inventor 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 contribute to mass communication and, in particular, telecommunications.

These include 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 is an outgrowth of his early career as a telegraph operator.

Edison develops a system of electric-power generation and distribution to homes, businesses, and factories – a crucial development in the modern industrialized world.

His first power station is on Pearl Street in Manhattan, New York.