Thomas Alva Edison's Life: A Light Goes On " Born when the world was starting on a technological joy ride, Edison was destined to set its gears 'on high, " writes Mary Nerney, in her 1934 biography, Thomas A. Edison: A Modern Olympian. " With every fundamental invention, he released dynamic forces through mass demand and mass use." Born in the small town of Milan, Ohio, on February 11, 1847 (Baker). Thomas Alva Edison is my hero. He suffered through hardship, but also came to fame. He devoted his life to find news ways of living, to make this world a more worth wild place. His life went through departure, fulfillment, and return.