Today marks the 165th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Edison, the great American inventor and businessman who taught us all we could drop out of school, be completely unhygienic, repurpose other people's ideas, and still be remembered as a genius.
Edison, who spent much of his life in what is now Edison, NJ, is the fourth most prolific inventor in history, holding 1,093 U.S. patents in his name. However, he was most influential in the modifications he made on already existing ideas—to that end, he was involved in the creation of the phonograph, the motion picture camera, the light bulb, and...concrete furniture.
We'll always think of him fondly as a man who chose to dedicate the first pieces of celluloid to cat boxing and a man doing tricks on a bicycle. Below, check out Jeremiah Warren's cartoon recap on Edison, as well as those videos of cat boxing and bicycle riding.
