10 Things that Thomas Edison Might Have Tweeted

Thomas Edison was something akin to a tech guru in his time, tinkering with available resources in an attempt to improve upon them. In his lifetime, Edison accumulated over 2,000 patents for his inventions. If he’d had access to Twitter in the peak of his career, these might be some of the things he would have tweeted.

1. “Filed my first patent; with hard work, it could be the first of many. #ElectrographicVoteRecorder” – In 1869, Thomas Edison filed his first patent. The device was intended to keep a record of votes in legislative elections and featured a button for “yes” and another for “no.” Washington congressmen were not impressed, and the the invention was never saw mass production.
2. “@MaryStillwell and I are officially married. #MerryChristmas” – Edison married former employee Mary Stillwell, then sixteen, on Christmas Day in 1871.
3. “Just got 10 grand from @WesternUnion for the #QuadruplexTelegraph.” - By improving upon existing technology and doubling the number of signals that could be sent on a single wire, Edison created what is now known as polar modulation.
4. “Experiments with #AcousticTelegraph had interesting results. @ElihuThomson & @EdwinHouston challenged. #JournalOfFranklinInstitute” - On November 29, 1875, Edison announced his discovery of what he deemed “etheric force.” Believing it was the mysterious force that pervaded the ether, he had unknowingly discovered high frequency electromagnetic waves. Elihu Thomson and Edwin Houston challenged his claims in the Journal of Franklin Institute, sparking more experiments on Edison’s end.
5. “The laboratory is up and running! Electrical and chemical labs and machine shop under one roof. #MenloPark” – Edison’s move to Menlo Park, New Jersey in 1876 marked the beginning of his most productive period. A place of business as well as a research facility, the staff included bookkeepers and secretaries in addition to the scientists and tradesmen.
6. “Filed the patent for my #CarbonTransmitter.” - In March of 1877, Edison filed the patent application for the carbon transmitter, which would be used in telephones across America from 1890 to the 1980′s.
7. “Come to #MenloPark tonight for a special demonstration! #HappyNewYear” – On New Year’s Eve in 1879, Edison held a public demonstration of the carbon-filament lamp and a direct-current generator for incandescent electric lighting.
8. “The Thomson-Houston Company and Edison General Electric have joined forces to become #GeneralElectric.” - After being acquired by a group of investors from Massachusetts, the company founded by two of Edison’s detractors merged with Edison General Electric to become simply General Electric in 1892. The original GE factories in Lynn, MA and Schenectady, NY remain to this day.
9. “On vacation with @HenryFord and @HarveyFirestone. #Paparazzi everywhere.” – Edison began vacationing with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone in 1916. Relentlessly followed by the press, their camping adventures are well documented.
10. “In Dearborn, Michigan for the #GoldenJubilee ceremony.” – At Henry Ford’s reconstructed Menlo Park in Dearborn, Michigan, Edison re-enacts the invention of his incandescent light.

Lauded for his exceptional work ethic and dogged tenacity, Thomas Edison is considered one of the fathers of modernity. Had he been able to use the technology that Twitter offers, it’s a safe bet that he would have relentlessly attempted to improve upon it.

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