The first light bulbs lasted a mere 150 hours. Edison introduced one that lasted 1,200 hours. Today the average light bulb lasts approximately 1,500 hours.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/theymadeamerica/whomade/edison_lo.html
Aside from being an inventor, Edison was also a successful manufacturer and businessman, marketing his inventions to the public. In 1876, the year of the American centennial, he opened his first full-scale industrial research laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/theymadeamerica/whomade/edison_lo.html
These workers were inventors, too, and did a lot of work on Edison's ideas to help turn them into inventions. 1  His middle name was Alva and his family called him Al. 2  His first two kids had the nicknames Dot and Dash. 3  He set up his first lab in his parent's basement at the age of 10.
http://www.ducksters.com/biography/thomas_edison.php
In 1876 Edison sold all his Newark manufacturing concerns and moved his family and staff of assistants to the small village of Menlo Park, twenty-five miles southwest of New York City. Edison established a new facility containing all the equipment necessary to work on any invention.
http://inventors.about.com/od/estartinventors/a/Edison_Bio.htm
Thomas Alva Edison, born in Milan, Ohio on February 11, 1847, was the seventh and last child born to Samuel and Nancy Edison. Since three of the youngest children did not survive early childhood, Thomas Alva (known as Al as a child and later as “Tom”) grew up with one brother and two sisters.
http://history1900s.about.com/od/people/a/Thomas-Edison.htm
A myriad of business liaisons, partnerships, and corporations occupied Edison, and his legal battles were continuous. He also erred at times -- for instance, when he bet on direct-current (DC) power systems instead of the alternating-current (AC) being touted by George Westinghouse. Yet Edison maintained a positive outlook. Of his failed attempts at the light bulb, he said, They taught something that I didn't know. They taught me what direction to move in.. In tribute to this unique individual, Americans dimmed their electric lights for one minute on October 21, 1931, a few days after his death.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/theymadeamerica/whomade/edison_lo.html
Light Bulb-Although he did not invent the first electric light, Edison made the first practical electric light bulb that could be manufactured and used in the home.
http://www.ducksters.com/biography/thomas_edison.php
SuperStock/Getty Images. Thomas Alva Edison was born on February 11, 1847 in Milan, Ohio; the seventh and last child of Samuel and Nancy Edison. When Edison was seven his family moved to Port Huron, Michigan. Edison lived here until he struck out on his own at the age of sixteen. Edison had very little formal education as a child, attending school only for a few months.
http://inventors.about.com/od/estartinventors/a/Edison_Bio.htm
Scientist Nikola Tesla, a former employee of Edison's, became his chief rival in the matter. Edison favored DC and had used it in all of his systems. Tesla, who had left Edison's lab over a pay dispute, was hired by inventor George Westinghouse to build the AC system which he (Westinghouse) had devised.
http://history1900s.about.com/od/people/a/Thomas-Edison.htm
Thomas Edison was born in Milan, Ohio on February 11, 1847. His family soon moved to Port Huron, Michigan where he spent most of his childhood. Surprisingly, he did not do well in school and ended up being home schooled by his mother.
http://www.ducksters.com/biography/thomas_edison.php
where did edison set up his first laboratory for research
Edison set up his first laboratory for research in Menlo Park, New Jersey.