Thomas Alva Edison was my hero when growing up, a very poor deaf boy inventing and creating new industries. But I didnt know that his father was also exceptional. Samuel Ogden Edison (pic)was born on August 16, 1804 in Digby, Nova Scotia, Canada. He married Nancy Elliott in 1828; she suffered from mental illness. Three weeks after Nancy's death in 1871, Edison Sr. at the youngish age of 67 started a new relationship with his 16-year-old housekeeper, Mary Sharlow. During their twenty years together they had three daughters. Samuel died in 1896 at the age of 92. "I am a master of smoking, drinking and gambling, " he claimed. "I have smoked and drank whisky moderately when I needed it, and have known to let it alone." A genius.
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Genius
Thomas Alva Edison was my hero when growing up, a very poor deaf boy inventing and creating new industries. But I didnt know that his father was also exceptional. Samuel Ogden Edison (pic)was born on August 16, 1804 in Digby, Nova Scotia, Canada. He married Nancy Elliott in 1828; she suffered from mental illness. Three weeks after Nancy's death in 1871, Edison Sr. at the youngish age of 67 started a new relationship with his 16-year-old housekeeper, Mary Sharlow. During their twenty years together they had three daughters. Samuel died in 1896 at the age of 92. "I am a master of smoking, drinking and gambling, " he claimed. "I have smoked and drank whisky moderately when I needed it, and have known to let it alone." A genius.
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4 comments:
Although in some families there are many generations of geniuses and more than one sibling that is accomplished, this is fairly rare. We all know Thomas Edison but what other great Edisons were there? True geniuses are as rare as hen's teeth and rarely does the lightning of genius strike twice in one family. I think of the famous American family of Adams, which produced a couple of Presidents and a famous (anti-Semitic) author, Henry. The rule in the Adams family was that either you became famously accomplished or that you died young as a miserable alcoholic - it seems like there is no in between.
K
Well, according to Galton, genius runs in families and he lighting of genius strikes twice and trice in one family. Edison's siblings were accomplished professionals and I understand that the companies he founded were managed by his sons.
But the other Edisons were not famous enough for you or I to know their names.
K
Touche.
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