Full Name: Thomas Alva Edison | Profession: Inventor, businessman | Nationality: American | Born: February 11, 1847 | Birthplace: Milan, Ohio, U.S. | Generation: Lost Generation (in generational taxonomy, born 1883–1900 is “Lost”); Edison predates modern cohort labels—commonly treated as “pre-Lost/19th-century” | Chinese Zodiac: Horse (born Feb 11, 1847, before Chinese New Year on Feb 15, 1847, so still in the prior lunar year) | Zodiac Sign: Aquarius | Age in 2026: Would be 179 | Marital Status: Married (1) Mary Stilwell (m. 1871–her death 1884); (2) Mina Miller (m. 1886–his death 1931) | Children: 6 | Description: A foundational architect of the modern technological era, Edison turned applied experimentation into an industrial system—building laboratories, teams, and commercialization pipelines that helped normalize invention as repeatable work rather than isolated genius; he is widely associated with the phonograph, early motion-picture technology, and the expansion of electric power and lighting into daily life, and his career illustrates both the promise and the friction of the Second Industrial Revolution—rapid prototyping, aggressive patent strategy, fierce competition, and the creation of durable consumer infrastructure that reshaped cities, factories, and entertainment. Cause of Death (if deceased): Died October 18, 1931, West Orange, New Jersey, U.S.