In which Ohio town was Thomas Edison born in 1847?

Thomas Edison was born in Milan, Ohio, in 1847.

Milan was a small community in northern Ohio, and Edison was born there on February 11, 1847. His parents were Samuel Ogden Edison Jr. and Nancy Matthews Elliott. The family moved to Port Huron, Michigan, when Edison was a child, so his early identity is often associated with Michigan rather than Ohio.

Edison later became known for inventions developed in New Jersey and New York, which can obscure the location of his birth. Milan remains a historical site connected with his childhood and the Edison family. The town’s name is pronounced differently from Milan, Italy, in common American usage.

Edison spent much of his youth learning independently. His mother encouraged his curiosity after he left formal schooling, and he pursued experiments involving telegraphy, chemistry, and electricity. Those early interests helped lead to his later career as an inventor, laboratory organizer, and businessman.