Profile of the Day: Thomas Edison
Today we remember inventor Thomas Edison, who was born on this day in 1847.
Image: Thomas Edison / Library of Congress
Edison was born on February 11, 1847 in Milan, Ohio and was the youngest of seven children born to Samuel Ogden Edison, Jr. and Nancy Matthews Elliot. His father was an exiled political activist from Canada who had participated in the Mackenzie Rebellion of 1837. Edison received little formal education growing up, but spent much of his youth reading and learning on his own.
A prolific inventor, Edison held over 1,000 US patents, as well as many others in the UK, France and Germany. From the electric light bulb to the telegraph, his inventions significantly impacted life around the world.
Explore Thomas Edison’s family tree on Geni and share how you’re connected to the prolific inventor.