The provided text is an extensive excerpt from a Wikipedia article about Thomas Edison, offering a comprehensive chronological and thematic overview of the American inventor's life, career, and legacy. The source details his early life and work in telegraphy, progressing through the establishment of his Menlo Park laboratory and his major inventions such as the phonograph and the practical incandescent electric light system. Significant sections describe his contributions to electric power distribution (including the "War of the currents" against AC rivals), his failed mining ventures, and his successes in motion pictures and battery technology. Finally, the text covers his final years, domestic life with two wives, his political and religious views, and the numerous awards he received.