thomas edison"To the Honorable Commissioner of Patents:
Your Petitioner Thomas A. Edison of Menlo Park in the State of New Jersey prays that Letters Patent may be granted to him for the invention of an Improvement in Electric Lamps and in the method of manufacturing the same set forth in the annexed specification. (Case no. 186)"
"On January 27, 1880, Thomas Edison received the historic patent embodying the principles of his incandescent lamp that paved the way for the universal domestic use of the electric light.Thomas Edison propelled the United States out of the gaslight era and into the electric age. From the time he was a boy, he was mesmerized by the mechanics of the universe and, with virtually no formal education, brought forth innovations that continue to dominate our lives."
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Thomas A. Edison exhibits a replica of his first successful incandescent lamp, which gave 16 candlepower of illumination, in contrast to the ultimate in today's achievement, a 50,000 watt, 150,000 candlepower lamp.