Thomas+Edison

=Thomas Edison -- American Inventor Extraordinaire=

And from Wikipedia here is a brief biography:
===**Thomas Alva Edison** (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931) was an American inventor, scientist, and businessman who developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the [|phonograph], the [|motion picture camera], and a long-lasting, practical electric [|light bulb]. Dubbed "The Wizard of Menlo Park" (now [|Edison, New Jersey]) by a newspaper reporter, he was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of [|mass production] and large teamwork to the process of invention, and therefore is often credited with the creation of the first industrial research laboratory.=== ===__Edison is considered one of the most__ [|prolific inventors] __in history, holding 1,093__ [|US patents in his name], __(All of his US Patents are__ __numbered for you to view at the link preceding this sentence, at Google Patents.__) as well as many patents in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.=== ===He is credited with numerous inventions that contributed to [|mass communication] and, in particular, [|telecommunications]. These included a stock ticker, a mechanical vote recorder, a battery for an electric car, electrical power, recorded music and motion pictures. His advanced work in these fields was an outgrowth of his early career as a [|telegraph] operator. Edison originated the concept and implementation of electric-power generation and distribution to homes, businesses, and factories – a crucial development in the modern industrialized world. His first [|power station] was on [|Manhattan Island], New York.===