Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison

“I have not failed. I have only found 10,000 ways that don’t work.”

He tried many times to make a light bulb that worked before he finally did.
To elaborate, when Edison said, “I have not failed,” he meant that even though he had not yet achieved his goal of creating a working light bulb, he did not consider his attempts to be failures.

Instead, he saw them as steps toward his ultimate success.
Each shot taught him something new about what did not work, which brought him closer to figuring out what would work.

When he said, “I have only found 10,000 ways that don’t work,” he emphasized that each failed attempt was not a waste of time or effort but a valuable lesson in what did not work.
By looking at his failures in this way, Edison stayed motivated and kept trying to make a light bulb that worked, leading to his success.

The sentence can also be interpreted more broadly as a mindset toward failure.
It encourages people to see failure as a chance to learn and to keep going when things go wrong instead of giving up.
Every failure brings us closer to success if we approach it with the right attitude and keep trying.

Thomas Edison　Brief personal history.

Thomas Edison was an American businessman and inventor thought to be one of the most influential people in history.

He was born on February 11, 1847, in Milan, Ohio, to Samuel and Nancy Edison.
He was the youngest of seven children, and his family moved to Port Huron, Michigan, when he was seven.

Edison was a curious and active child, but he had trouble in school because he had hearing problems and didn’t want to learn.
He began working at a young age, selling newspapers and candy on trains and later as a telegraph operator.

During this time, he became interested in science and technology.
In 1869, at 22, Edison moved to New York City and began working as an inventor and entrepreneur.

His first significant invention was the stock ticker, which allowed investors to receive stock prices in real-time.
He also came up with the phonograph, the movie camera, and the alkaline storage battery, among other things.

Edison was known for his relentless work ethic and dedication to experimentation.
He got more than 1,000 patents for his inventions, and many of the technological advances of the 20th century can be traced back to him.

He once famously said, “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”

Edison died on October 18, 1931, at 84, at his home in West Orange, New Jersey.
He had been suffering from complications related to diabetes.
His second wife, Mina Miller Edison, and three children survived him.

Edison is remembered as one of the best inventors of all time, and his work still affects science and technology today.

“Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”

This sentence is often attributed to Thomas Edison, reflecting his belief that hard work and perseverance are more critical to success than innate talent or intelligence.

To elaborate on the meaning of the sentence, “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration,” it suggests that although having a great idea or inspiration is essential, it is not enough to achieve success.
The real key to success, according to Edison, is hard work and perseverance. In other words, it takes a lot of effort and “sweat” to turn an idea into a reality.

The word “perspiration” in this sentence is a metaphor for the hard work and determination required to succeed.

He was known for his tireless work ethic and dedication to experimenting and refining his ideas until they were successful.

The sentence suggests that inspiration and ideas are essential but only the starting point. To succeed, one must be willing to put in the hard work and “sweat” necessary to turn those ideas into reality.

Episodes.

One notable episode in Thomas Edison’s life involves the development of the electric light bulb.
Edison had been working on creating a long-lasting electric light for several years, and in 1879 he finally had a breakthrough.
He developed a filament made from carbonized bamboo.
Carbonized bamboo could burn for over 1,200 hours, significantly improving over the previous incandescent bulbs that only lasted a few hours.

However, Edison’s success came with setbacks.
One incident became famous and is still discussed today.
In December 1914, a fire broke out at Edison’s laboratory in West Orange, New Jersey. The blaze quickly grew out of control and engulfed the entire building, destroying much of his life’s work in hours.

As the fire raged, Edison and his son Charles worked frantically to save as much as possible.
Edison’s wife, Mina, later recalled that her husband’s face was calm and composed throughout the ordeal, and he seemed more concerned about his employees and their families than his losses.

After the fire, Edison was devastated, but he did not give up.
He started to rebuild his lab immediately and kept developing new ideas until he died in 1931.
He famously declared, “Although I am over 67 years old, I’ll start all over again tomorrow.” And that’s precisely what he did.

The fire was a devastating setback for Edison. Still, his determination and strength in the face of trouble show what a great person he was and why he will always be remembered as one of the greatest inventors in history