Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931) was an American inventor, scientist, and businessman who developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. Dubbed "The Wizard of Menlo Park" (now Edison, New Jersey) by a newspaper reporter, he was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of mass production and large teamwork to the process of invention, and therefore is often credited with the creation of the first industrial research laboratory 1868 Edison's first invention was a Vote Recorder 1869 Printing Telegraph 1869 Stock Ticker 1872 Automatic Telegraph 1876 Electric Pen 1877 Carbon Telephone Transmitter 1877 Phonograph 1879 Dynamo 1878 Thomas Edison founded the Edison Electric Light Company 1879 Incandescent Electric Lamp 1880 223,898 Thomas Edison 1/27 for Electric Lamp and Manufacturing Process 1881 Electric Motor 1881 238