Thomas Alva Edison

Prolific inventor Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) has had a profound impact on modern life. In his lifetime he patented 1,093 inventions, including the phonograph, the kinetograph (a motion picture camera), and the kinetoscope (a motion picture viewer). Edison managed to become not only a renowned inventor, but also a prominent manufacturer and businessman through the merchandising of his inventions.

<http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/edhtml/edbiohm.html>