INVENTOR
Thomas Edison
1847 - 1931

Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions, which include the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and early versions of the electric light bulb, have had a widespread impact on the modern industrialized world. He was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of organized science and teamwork to the process of invention, working with many researchers and employees. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Thomas Edison is the 3rd most popular inventor, the 5th most popular biography from United States (down from 3rd in 2019) and the most popular American Inventor.
Thomas Edison is most famous for inventing the electric light bulb.
Memorability Metrics
Page views of Thomas Edison by language
Among INVENTORS
Among inventors, Thomas Edison ranks 3 out of 426. Before him are Leonardo da Vinci, and Nikola Tesla. After him are Johannes Gutenberg, James Watt, Karl Benz, Elon Musk, Alexander Graham Bell, Guglielmo Marconi, Henry Ford, Louis Braille, and Charles Babbage.
Most Popular Inventors in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsLeonardo da Vinci
1452 - 1519
HPI: 96.80
Rank: 1
Nikola Tesla
1856 - 1943
HPI: 91.90
Rank: 2
Thomas Edison
1847 - 1931
HPI: 91.65
Rank: 3
Johannes Gutenberg
1394 - 1468
HPI: 90.58
Rank: 4
James Watt
1736 - 1819
HPI: 88.47
Rank: 5
Karl Benz
1844 - 1929
HPI: 88.12
Rank: 6
Elon Musk
1971 - Present
HPI: 86.81
Rank: 7
Alexander Graham Bell
1847 - 1922
HPI: 85.31
Rank: 8
Guglielmo Marconi
1874 - 1937
HPI: 83.41
Rank: 9
Henry Ford
1863 - 1947
HPI: 82.33
Rank: 10
Louis Braille
1809 - 1852
HPI: 81.98
Rank: 11
Charles Babbage
1791 - 1871
HPI: 81.59
Rank: 12
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1847, Thomas Edison ranks 1. After him are Alexander Graham Bell, Paul von Hindenburg, Maria Feodorovna, Otto Wallach, Bram Stoker, Auguste Escoffier, Joseph Pulitzer, Jesse James, Duchess Sophie Charlotte in Bavaria, Georges Sorel, and Jean Casimir-Perier. Among people deceased in 1931, Thomas Edison ranks 1. After him are Khalil Gibran, Albert A. Michelson, Otto Wallach, Gustave Le Bon, Anna Pavlova, Louise, Princess Royal, Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca, Omar Mukhtar, Arthur Schnitzler, Lili Elbe, and Bhagat Singh.
Others Born in 1847
Go to all RankingsThomas Edison
INVENTOR
1847 - 1931
HPI: 91.65
Rank: 1
Alexander Graham Bell
INVENTOR
1847 - 1922
HPI: 85.31
Rank: 2
Paul von Hindenburg
POLITICIAN
1847 - 1934
HPI: 81.91
Rank: 3
Maria Feodorovna
COMPANION
1847 - 1928
HPI: 78.58
Rank: 4
Otto Wallach
CHEMIST
1847 - 1931
HPI: 78.30
Rank: 5
Bram Stoker
WRITER
1847 - 1912
HPI: 75.89
Rank: 6
Auguste Escoffier
WRITER
1847 - 1935
HPI: 74.28
Rank: 7
Joseph Pulitzer
JOURNALIST
1847 - 1911
HPI: 73.71
Rank: 8
Jesse James
MAFIOSO
1847 - 1882
HPI: 73.31
Rank: 9
Duchess Sophie Charlotte in Bavaria
POLITICIAN
1847 - 1897
HPI: 72.76
Rank: 10
Georges Sorel
PHILOSOPHER
1847 - 1922
HPI: 70.56
Rank: 11
Jean Casimir-Perier
POLITICIAN
1847 - 1907
HPI: 69.85
Rank: 12
Others Deceased in 1931
Go to all RankingsThomas Edison
INVENTOR
1847 - 1931
HPI: 91.65
Rank: 1
Khalil Gibran
WRITER
1883 - 1931
HPI: 85.57
Rank: 2
Albert A. Michelson
PHYSICIST
1852 - 1931
HPI: 84.49
Rank: 3
Otto Wallach
CHEMIST
1847 - 1931
HPI: 78.30
Rank: 4
Gustave Le Bon
PSYCHOLOGIST
1841 - 1931
HPI: 77.78
Rank: 5
Anna Pavlova
DANCER
1881 - 1931
HPI: 77.37
Rank: 6
Louise, Princess Royal
POLITICIAN
1867 - 1931
HPI: 75.26
Rank: 7
Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca
POLITICIAN
1853 - 1931
HPI: 74.81
Rank: 8
Omar Mukhtar
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1858 - 1931
HPI: 74.73
Rank: 9
Arthur Schnitzler
WRITER
1862 - 1931
HPI: 74.59
Rank: 10
Lili Elbe
PAINTER
1882 - 1931
HPI: 74.30
Rank: 11
Bhagat Singh
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1907 - 1931
HPI: 74.23
Rank: 12
In United States
Among people born in United States, Thomas Edison ranks 5 out of 20,380. Before him are Donald Trump (1946), Jimmy Carter (1924), Thomas Jefferson (1743), and Martin Luther King Jr. (1929). After him are J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904), Muhammad Ali (1942), Andrew Jackson (1767), Edgar Allan Poe (1809), Pope Leo XIV (1955), William McKinley (1843), and Al Pacino (1940).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsDonald Trump
POLITICIAN
1946 - Present
HPI: 99.27
Rank: 1
Jimmy Carter
POLITICIAN
1924 - 2024
HPI: 93.90
Rank: 2
Thomas Jefferson
POLITICIAN
1743 - 1826
HPI: 93.18
Rank: 3
Martin Luther King Jr.
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1929 - 1968
HPI: 92.49
Rank: 4
Thomas Edison
INVENTOR
1847 - 1931
HPI: 91.65
Rank: 5
J. Robert Oppenheimer
PHYSICIST
1904 - 1967
HPI: 90.85
Rank: 6
Muhammad Ali
BOXER
1942 - 2016
HPI: 90.72
Rank: 7
Andrew Jackson
POLITICIAN
1767 - 1845
HPI: 90.45
Rank: 8
Edgar Allan Poe
WRITER
1809 - 1849
HPI: 90.35
Rank: 9
Pope Leo XIV
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1955 - Present
HPI: 89.52
Rank: 10
William McKinley
POLITICIAN
1843 - 1901
HPI: 89.29
Rank: 11
Al Pacino
ACTOR
1940 - Present
HPI: 89.27
Rank: 12
Among INVENTORS In United States
Among inventors born in United States, Thomas Edison ranks 1. After him are Henry Ford (1863), Samuel Morse (1791), Eli Whitney (1765), Lee de Forest (1873), Jimmy Wales (1966), Samuel Colt (1814), Bob Kahn (1938), Herman Hollerith (1860), Robert Fulton (1765), Steve Wozniak (1950), and George Westinghouse (1846).
Thomas Edison
1847 - 1931
HPI: 91.65
Rank: 1
Henry Ford
1863 - 1947
HPI: 82.33
Rank: 2
Samuel Morse
1791 - 1872
HPI: 80.49
Rank: 3
Eli Whitney
1765 - 1825
HPI: 76.75
Rank: 4
Lee de Forest
1873 - 1961
HPI: 76.60
Rank: 5
Jimmy Wales
1966 - Present
HPI: 75.20
Rank: 6
Samuel Colt
1814 - 1862
HPI: 74.94
Rank: 7
Bob Kahn
1938 - Present
HPI: 73.96
Rank: 8
Herman Hollerith
1860 - 1929
HPI: 73.59
Rank: 9
Robert Fulton
1765 - 1815
HPI: 73.39
Rank: 10
Steve Wozniak
1950 - Present
HPI: 73.34
Rank: 11
George Westinghouse
1846 - 1914
HPI: 72.92
Rank: 12