Early life

Thomas Edison was born on February 11, 1847 in Milan, Ohio. His father did many odd jobs such as running a tavern, roofing houses, and tailoring while his mother was a school teacher. As child, he had scarlet fever and ear infections which caused him to loose most of his hearing. He attended public school for a total of 12 weeks when his mother decided to take him out and homeschool him. At age 12 he was selling newspapers at a train station when he decided to set up a laboratory in a train baggage car. One day during his experiment with chemicals, a small fire occured in the train car and he was banned from his laboratory.

EDUCATION

INTERESTS AS A CHILD

Shakespeare

Enjoyed reading and reciting poetry.

Homeschooled

Mother taught him

Private School

Reverend G.B. Engle

World History and English Literature

Father paid him 10 cents for every classic piece of literature

he read.

Science and Mechanics

His parents hired a tutor to teach him and he began to experiment with chemicals in the basement of his house.