Thomas Edison: The Man Who Lit Up the World

Lexile: 730 | Grade: 4

Passage

Thomas Edison was a curious boy who asked lots of questions. He was born in 1847 in Ohio and liked to take things apart just to see how they worked. Sometimes, he even built new things from the pieces.

As he got older, Thomas worked hard to turn his ideas into real inventions. He didn’t always get things right on the first try—in fact, he failed many times. But he kept trying, which became one of his greatest strengths.

One of his most famous inventions was the electric light bulb. Before that, people used candles or oil lamps to light their homes. Edison's light bulb made it possible for cities and houses to be safely lit with electricity.

He also created the phonograph, which could record and play back sound, and helped improve early motion picture cameras. In total, Thomas Edison held over 1,000 patents for his inventions.

Even though he faced challenges, Edison never gave up. His curiosity, creativity, and hard work changed the world forever.