Adulthood

In 1869, Thomas moved to New York and developed his first invention, an improved his stock ticker, the universal stock printer which synchronized several stock tickers’ transactions. The “Gold and Stock” telegraph company paid Thomas $40,000 (~$700,000 in today’s money) for all the rights and all this happened when he was only 22-years old. After this he quit his work as a telegrapher and devoted himself to full-time inventing.

One year later Thomas set up his first small laboratory and manufacturing facility in Newark, New Jersey and employed several machinists. Thomas formed many partnerships and developed his products for the highest bidder.

In 1871, He married 16-year old Mary Stilwell, who was an employee at one of his businesses. During their 13 year marriage they had 3 children, Marlon, Thomas and, William who also became an inventor. Mary later died of a suspected brain tumor at the age of 29 in 1884.

In 1867, The Western Union encouraged him to devolve a communication device to compete with Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone but he never did. But in December of 1877, Thomas developed a method for recording sound, the Phonograph, his invention brought him world-wide fame

The year of 1879 he began to manufacture his own improved light bulb and a year later he developed his own electrical company called “Edison Illuminating Company”. By 1882 the “Pearl Street” Generating station provided 110 volts of electrical power to 59 customers in lower Manhattan

After his wife Mary died in 1884 he married 19-year-old Mina Miller in 1886. In 1887 Thomas built an industrial research laboratory which served as his main research laboratory for his lighting technology and power system and also let him perfect his phonograph

By the time Thomas was 84 years old he had a record of 1,093 patents and had success developing an alkaline storage battery which he developed to put in his phonograph but later supplied submarines and electric vehicles.