Sawan Presents Thomas Alva Edison from Biographis of Great Personalities. Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman who lived from 1847 to 1931. A large number of gadgets were created by him in disciplines as diverse as electricity generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. There has been a significant impact on modern industrialised society as a result of these inventions, which include the phonograph, motion picture camera, and early versions of the electric light bulb. Using the ideas of organised science and cooperation, he was one of the first inventors to apply the invention process to the principles of organised science and teamwork, collaborating with a large number of researchers and employees. He was responsible for the establishment of the first industrial research laboratory.