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Thomas Alva Edison

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Inventor

The Resume

    (February 11, 1847-October 18, 1931)
    Most prolific inventor (holds 1,093 patents)
    Took inventing credit for the incandescent light bulb, phonograph, movie projector, the stock ticker, Kinetoscope, first talking movie projector, electric pen, carbon telephone transmitter and mimeograph
    Nicknamed 'The Wizard of Menlo Park'
    Started the Motion Picture Patents Company, a conglomerate of 9 major film studios (more commonly known as Edison Trust)

Why he might be annoying:

    He suffered from depression.
    He was a vegetarian.
    His first patented invention, 'The Electrical Vote Recorder,' was deemed by congress not useful because it counted votes too quickly (1868).
    He surprised himself when his phonograph actually worked the first time he tried it (1878).
    He believed that there was no money to be made in projecting movies, and considered the idea of movie-making a toy.
    He fired his assistant, W.K. Laurie Dickson, for trying to invent a film projector.
    Months later, when Edison realized its profitable potential, he introduced the Vitascope (rivaled mainly by Dickson's Mutoscope - 1895).
    He started a legal battle to win full credit for the invention of the motion picture (he lost).
    He didn't want to give actors any screen credit because he didn't want their popularity to interfere the salary structure.
    He hired henchmen to bully independent filmmakers who did not buy his equipment (often damaging their equipment).
    He caused most of these independent filmmakers to move out west to a little town, now known as Hollywood.
    He lost a legal battle against William Fox, causing him to drop his interest in motion pictures, altogether.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He usually went with only a few hours of sleep per day.
    He had scarlet fever as a child, losing all hearing in his left ear and had just 10% hearing in his right ear.
    Unlike most of us, he turned his handicap into an advantage.
    He said his hearing loss was an advantage because he could avoid foolish small talk and use the time to think.
    After the Electrical Vote Recorder failed commercially, he vowed to only invent items with a 'commercial demand.'
    He is the only person in the U.S. to receive a patent every year for 65 years (1868-1933).

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 10 Votes: 20.0% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 25 Votes: 28.00% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 36 Votes: 55.56% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 105 Votes: 45.71% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 51 Votes: 41.18% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 267 Votes: 52.06% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 20 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 73 Votes: 60.27% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 176 Votes: 56.82% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 200 Votes: 55.50% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 56 Votes: 55.36% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 37 Votes: 51.35% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 61 Votes: 57.38% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 100 Votes: 48.00% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 197 Votes: 46.70% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 74 Votes: 40.54% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 71 Votes: 38.03% Annoying
    In 2007, Out of 192 Votes: 44.79% Annoying
    In 2006, Out of 185 Votes: 52.43% Annoying
    In 2005, Out of 453 Votes: 43.05% Annoying
    In 2004, Out of 851 Votes: 42.30% Annoying
    In 2003, Out of 1356 Votes: 42.40% Annoying
    In 2002, Out of 4379 Votes: 35.05% Annoying
    In 2001, Out of 9505 Votes: 62.26% Annoying