Thomas Edison, Invention Wizard

Known as the wizard of Menlo Park, Thomas Edison is one of the world's most famous inventors of all time. Yet he had to struggle to overcome many difficulties, problems and expectations along the way.

One of the greatest lessons his life can teach any scientist or inventor is to believe in yourself despite what others think or believe. As a young man, he was often ridiculed for his ideas because they were just too radical for others to envision. Yet he was only 30 years old when he invented the phonograph, becoming the first to record the human voice.

He experienced many failures along the way – injury and disappointing experiments - but continued to strive to be the best he could be, becoming the inventor of the light bulb, motion picture camera and many more tools and devices.

His motto, “Have faith and go forward” is a testament to his perseverance.