Let's Talk About Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was born on February 11, 1847, in Milan, Ohio, to Sam and Nancy. Referred to as "Al" during his youth, he was the youngest of seven children, with only four surviving into adulthood. Throughout his early years, Edison often experienced poor health. In pursuit of a better future, Sam Edison relocated the family to Port Huron, Michigan, in 1854, where he found employment in the lumber industry. Despite this change, Edison struggled academically. When a schoolmaster labeled him as "addled," his mother, filled with anger, withdrew him from school and took on the responsibility of educating him at home. Reflecting on this later in life, Edison expressed, "My mother was instrumental in shaping who I became. She believed in me wholeheartedly, and I felt a sense of purpose not to let her down." From a young age, Edison displayed a keen interest in mechanical devices and conducted various chemical experiments. Thomas Edison went on to becom...