
THE MODERN AGE 1900–1950II
THE IMPACT OF INVENTION 1879–19331
THE INCANDESCENT
LIGHTBULB
CARBON-FILAMENT ELECTRIC LIGHTBULB
PATENT DRAWING
Menlo Park, New Jersey, USA
Thomas Edison (1847–1931), Inventor
Milan, Ohio, USA
1879
Thomas Alva Edison (1847–1931) was an
American inventor, scientist, and businessman
who greatly influenced modern life throughout
the twentieth century. He was one of the most
prolific inventors in history, with over 1,000
U.S. patents, as well as many held in the United
Kingdom, France, and Germany. Edison is cred-
ited with numerous inventions that contributed
to the rapid development of the modern, indus-
trialized world including ...