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Thomas Edison (1847)close

Born in Milan, Ohio, Thomas Edison is the only American inventor with more than 1,000 patents. Some of his most famous inventions include the light bulb, the phonograph and the stock ticker.

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Looking for a famous American?

This page presents short biographies of more than 200 famous Americans drawn from our unit, "The 50 States." These personalities are arranged by theme.

Just click a theme at the top of the page to view a selection list for that theme.