<Tr> <Th> Relatives </Th> <Td> Lewis Miller (father - in - law) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Signature </Th> </Tr> <P> Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847--October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman, who has been described as America's greatest inventor . He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and the long - lasting, practical electric light bulb . Dubbed "The Wizard of Menlo Park", he was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of mass production and large - scale teamwork to the process of invention, and because of that, he is often credited with the creation of the first industrial research laboratory . </P> <P> Edison was a prolific inventor, holding 1,093 US patents in his name, as well as many patents in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany . More significant than the number of Edison's patents was the widespread impact of his inventions: electric light and power utilities, sound recording, and motion pictures all established major new industries worldwide . Edison's inventions 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 developed a system 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 Pearl Street in Manhattan, New York . </P>

Who invented the first practical electric light bulb