Thomas A. Edison

Thomas A. Edison in his laboratory in New Jersey, 1901

Born: February 11, 1847

Died: October 18, 1931

The phonograph and the motion-picture projector were only a few of Thomas Alva Edison's more than 1,000 inventions. One of the most famous inventors in the history of technology, Edison also created the first industrial research laboratory, in Menlo Park, New Jersey, in 1876.

Henry Ford

Henry Ford, c. 1919

Born - July 30, 1863 Greenfield Township, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.

Died - April 7, 1947 (aged 83) Fair Lane, Dearborn, Michigan, U.S.

Occupation - Business

Spouse - Clara Jane Bryant

Parents - William Ford and Mary Ford

Children - Edsel Ford

Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was the founder of the Ford Motor Company and father of modern assembly lines used in mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry. He was a prolific inventor and was awarded 161 U.S. patents. As sole owner of the Ford Company he became one of the richest and best-known people in the world. He is credited with "Fordism", that is, the mass production of large numbers of inexpensive automobiles using the assembly line which could finish a car in 98 minutes. Henry Ford's intense commitment to lowering costs resulted in many technical and business innovations, including a franchise system that put a dealership in every city in North America, and in major cities on six continents. Ford left most of his vast wealth to the Ford Foundation but arranged for his family to control the company permanently