... According to Life Magazine and several other sources, Thomas Edison was "the most influential figure of the millennium." Contrary to what is sometimes assumed, Thomas Edison was not born into poverty in a backwoods mid-western village. He was born, on Feb. 11, 1847, to middle-class parents in the bustling port of Milan, Ohio: a community that, next to Odessa, Russia, was ... -of-the-art of the multiplex transmitter. Nevertheless, it was George B. Stearns who - with Bridden's help - eventually beat everyone to the punch and obtained the first patent for a duplex telegraph line, a device w...

• Word Count: 3349
• Approx Pages: 13
• Grade Level: Undergraduate