Have you heard of Thomas Alva Edison, who invented the light bulb and motion picture camera? Edison's childhood wasn't easy. He did'nt speak until he was four, and when he did, he always asked people to explain how things worked. He was always so curious and eager to learn that sometimes he did dangerous things. At the age of six, he was responsible for starting a fire that destroyed the family barn. As a punishment, his father whipped him in public. The teachers and schoolmasters often lost patience with him and finally threw him out of school. They considered him stupid, learning-disabled and problematical because his mind was always distracted-unfocused.
At the age 29, edison established the world's first invention factory in Menlo Park, New Jersey, where he developed the phonograph and the first light bulb. It was a big invention because from then on, electricity was available for household use. Throughout his life, Edison patented 1903 inventions. He also founded many industrial companies, one of which is General Electric that still exist today.
