Thomas Edison was perhaps the most prolific inventor of his time and was recognized for his ability to overcome adversity. Todd Kaplan has often said “We have come to know him by his successes however it is important to note that Thomas Edison was in fact a person who beat adversity over and over again”. Many of his designs and products failed to catch on. Products like concrete furniture and concrete houses. His successes however were fantastic electricity and phonograph to name a few. Todd Kaplan has a special place in his heart for the “Wizard of Menlo park” who once said:
Our Greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.
Thomas A. Edison
More info on Thomas edison can be found on wikipedia http://bit.ly/1jQJI73
Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He 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”,[2] he was 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.[3]
Edison was a prolific inventor, holding 1,093 US patents in his name, as well as many patents in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. More significant than the number of Edison’s patents, are the impacts of his inventions, because Edison not only invented things, his inventions established major new industries world-wide, notably, electric light and power utilities, sound recording and motion pictures. Edison’s inventions 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 telegraph operator. Edison developed a system of electric-power generation and distribution[4]to homes, businesses, and factories – a crucial development in the modern industrialized world. His first power station was on Pearl Street in Manhattan, New York.[4]
