The Wizard of Menlo Park: Thomas Edison

In 1847, in a small Ohio town near the shores of Lake Erie, was born a small boy who befuddled those he met. He didnt talk until the age of four and when he enrolled in school was sent home as “unteachable.” Home schooled, he developed a level of genius rarely seen and would go on to change the world with his many inventions. But the image of a kindly old white haired man working in his laboratory is largely myth. Thomas Edison was a product of the gilded age and his main goal in life was to get rich. He would do whatever he could to achieve that goal, ruthlessly crushing competitors, taking credit for the work of others and estranging himself from his children. In the end his poor business decisions led to the loss of his fortune. Even so, life as we know it today was inexorably shaped by the man known as “The Wizard of Menlo Park.”

(5/17/2023 update. Start time changed to 3:00 p.m. ET)