Thomas Alva Edison was born on February 11, 1847 in Milan, Ohio, the youngest of seven children. Edison received very little formal education, chiefly homeschooled by his mother. His early work was in telegraphy, which partially inspired, and directly financed, his early scientific experimentation. Edison is one of the most celebrated inventors, developing the incandescent light bulb, early movie cameras, the phonograph, and innumerable other devices that have since shaped science and engineering. Thomas Edison is also remembered for his entrepreneurial efforts, founding many successful businesses, with General Electric as a notable example. Edison died on October 18, 1931 in West Orange, New Jersey. Thomas Edison was made a Great Ohioan in 2008.