Who could imagine living in houses without light bulbs and music? Thanks to Thomas Edison, who was an American inventor and businessman, our lives were made a lot easier. He developed many devices and is also credited with the creation of the first industrial research laboratory. With a total of 1 093 U.S. patents under his name, as well as many others in the United Kingdom, France and Germany, Edison greatly contributed to the advancement of mass communication, particularly telecommunications. He started as a telegraph operator and worked his way up to founder of General Electric in 1892! Humanity owes a lot to this man, a great inventor.