On what date was Thomas Edison born?

Thomas Edison was born on February 11, 1847. He was born in Milan, Ohio, a village connected to the Great Lakes shipping trade, and was the seventh and last child of Samuel Ogden Edison Jr. and Nancy Matthews Elliott.

Edison’s family moved to Port Huron, Michigan, when he was young. His formal schooling was brief, and his mother continued much of his education at home. This helped shape his habit of independent reading and experimentation.

A common mix-up is confusing Edison’s birth date with October 21, the date often associated with commemorations of his successful practical incandescent lamp work. October 21 is also observed in the United States as National Inventors’ Day in some contexts, but it is not Edison’s birthday.

Edison later became one of the most prolific inventors in American history, working on sound recording, electric lighting, power systems, motion pictures, and telecommunications.