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Thomas Alva Edison was born on February 11, 1847, in the small town of Milan, Ohio, before moving with his family to Port Huron, Michigan in 1854. The youngest of seven children, young Edison was known as “Al” to friends and family. He was a bright child but struggled with traditional teaching methods of the time, and only briefly attended public school. Modern-day historians and medical professionals have surmised that Edison may have had Attention-Deficiency/Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. His former schoolteacher mother home-schooled him, and he made use of his father’s small library, developing a lifelong love of reading.

Edison's entrepreneurial streak started at a young age

Edison became fascinated with technology as a child

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