February 11, is Thomas Edison's 170th birthday and in line with that, it is just fitting to remember the genius known as the Wizard of Menlo Park.
He has more than 2,000 patents
To be exact, Edison has 2,332 inventions which he patented under his name. Aside from the phonograph and the light bulb, he also invented the pneumatic stencil pen which is considered as the grandfather of the tattoo gun. The number of Edison's inventions speaks well about his principle in order to achieve everything: hard work, common sense, and sticking with what you're doing.Edison has the most number of inventions and was only beaten in 2013 by Shun-pei Yamazaki.
He invented his first machine when he was 22
Edison was only 22 when he invented his first machine - the electrographic vote recorder where a person can answer yes or no by just pressing a switch. The device was connected to the clerk's desk who, in turn, recorded the answers. The device was not actually used but it has become a model that led to the invention of the modern voting machine.
He started the age of cinema
In 1897, Edison invented what he called the kinetographic camera, which allows a person to watch a single film through a peephole. His invention was later modified and was called the Vitascope, a projector used in public screenings, That was when cinema was born.
The light bulb took 1,000 failed attempts
Before perfecting the light bulb, Edison had tested it 1,000 times and failed. Thanks to his persistence, he was able to make it right by using a carbon filament. The first light bulb was able to stay on for 13.5 hours. He also perfected the predecessor of commercial light bulbs by using a bamboo filament. The commercial light bulb lasted for 1200 hours.
