Civil Rights
Movements, leaders, victories and the continuing fight for equality.
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THE BHP WIRE —
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Explore the people, places, events, achievements, struggles and stories that shaped our journey.
Movements, leaders, victories and the continuing fight for equality.
Innovation, patents, science, technology and world-changing contributions.
Pioneers, champions, Negro Leagues, records, activism and excellence.
Meet the people whose lives, choices and achievements shaped the journey.
Black towns, communities, institutions and places where history happened.
Moments that changed communities, movements, institutions and the nation.
Katherine Johnson’s mathematical calculations helped guide some of America’s most important early space missions while she confronted the racial and gender barriers faced by Black women in twentieth-century America.
MORE →Reflects the personal views, recollections, and perspective of the author, Mike Davis.
This is a personal recollection on the Move fire on May 13, 1985
United States | |
| Value | 1 U.S. Dollar |
|---|---|
| Mass | 26.730 g |
| Diameter | 38.1 mm |
| Thickness | 2.58 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Composition | 90% Ag / 10% Cu |
| Years of minting | 2004 |
| Mintage | 92,150 Uncirculated 211,055 Proof |
| Mint marks | P |
| Obverse | |
 | |
| Designer | Donna Weaver |
| Design date | 2004 |
| Design | Portrait of Thomas Edison holding a light bulb |
| Reverse | |
 | |
| Design | Edison's 1879 light bulb with arcs surrounding |
| Designer | John Mercanti |
| Design date | 2004 |
The Thomas Alva Edison silver dollar is a commemorative silver dollar issued by the United States Mint in 2004.[1] It portrays American inventor Thomas Edison and was issued to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the invention of the light bulb by Edison.
The Thomas Alva Edison Commemorative Coin Act (Pub. L. 105–331 (text) (PDF)) was introduced in the House of Representatives by Paul Gillmor of Ohio on February 11, 1997.[2] Earlier proposals were submitted to commemorate 150th anniversary of Edison's February 11, 1847 birth in a prior Congress but were not passed.[3] The bill would pass the House the following year on September 9, 1998, and was passed by the Senate on October 7, 1998. President Bill Clinton signed the bill into law on October 31, 1998.[2] The law authorized the production of a silver dollar to commemorate the life of Edison and the 125th anniversary of the invention of the light bulb in 2004. The act allowed the coins to be struck in both proof and uncirculated finishes, and stated that no more than 500,000 coins would be minted.[4]
The obverse of the coin, designed by Donna Weaver, features a portrait of Edison holding an early experimental light bulb in his laboratory. The reverse, designed by John Mercanti, features a rendering of Edison's first light bulb.[1]
The coins went on sale on February 11, 2004. A small discount was offered to those who purchased the coins prior to March 26.[3] Uncirculated coins were sold for $33 and proof coins were sold for $37; the uncirculated coins were sold in various packaging. A $10 surcharge was included in the price, with the proceeds being split between eight different organizations. Among those organizations were the Edison Institute, the Edison Plaza Museum, and the National Park Service.[4] Mintage totaled 92,150 for uncirculated coins and 211,055 for proof sets for a total of 303,205 coins minted.[5] Although sales fell short of the 500,000 coins authorized, the dollar was received well by coin collectors.[3]
Source: Wikipedia. Article content is retrieved live through the MediaWiki API.
The Thomas Alva Edison silver dollar is a commemorative silver dollar issued by the United States Mint in 2004. It portrays American inventor Thomas Edison and was issued to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the invention of the light bulb by Edison.
Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman known for his work on the incandescent light bulb, the phonograph, electric power distribution and early motion pictures. The merger of the Edison General Electric Company and the competitor Thomson-Houston Electric Company resulted in the formation of General Electric. Edison registered 1,093 patents in the United States. Edison was born in Milan, Ohio, but grew up in Michigan with little formal schooling. He became deaf as a child and learned through books and tinkering. Edison began working at a young age; as a railroad telegrapher, he spent much of his time inventing improvements to telegraph systems. By the age of 22, he had sold a few of his early inventions and moved to New York City to focus on engineering. He had three children with his first wife, Mary, but Edison was neglectful. She died at 29 years old. Edison had troubled relationships with his children for the rest of his life. With the help of friends, the inventor attracted investment and grew his company. By the age of 29, he owned a telegraph recorder factory in Newark with over one hundred employees. Edison expanded, developing Menlo Park, now considered the first industrial research laboratory. Edison, known as "The Wizard of Menlo Park", drove his staff extremely hard and constantly worked himself and his associates to exhaustion. The inventor also drove up investment and publicity. He rose to international fame with the invention of the phonograph which took many years to turn into a commercial success. He later built a larger research lab in West Orange, New Jersey. In 1878, Edison began working on an electrical lighting system which he hoped would replace the common gas lamp. Going from electrical light bulb to the modern electric grid took decades of invention, investment, and influence. Edison and his colleagues had the opportunity to get enormously wealthy as they designed and built a nation of light bulbs, generators, and electric distribution systems. Competition with Westinghouse's AC system forced Edison to yield and resulted in the creation of General Electric. Edison simultaneously created a mining company, which was never profitable, and he nearly went bankrupt. As his role in the illumination business declined, he established a cement company and began work on a motion picture camera. The motion picture camera went from an invention to the first movie production studio. He traveled around the United States and Europe promoting his many innovations, during which he met Mina, his second wife. They had three children together, and Edison was again neglectful. During their adulthood, he began to take more interest in his sons and they eventually worked for him. Charles Edison took over his father's business when he died. In addition to acute health issues from handling toxic and radioactive chemicals during his various experiments, Thomas faced a lifelong battle against diabetes. He worked vigorously until his death. Following the success of the illumination business, he ran several companies which produced batteries, movies, musical records, and phenol. His last obsession was the search for domestic rubber production.
This is a list of things named after Thomas Edison.
Edison is a township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. Situated in Central New Jersey within the core of the state's Raritan Valley region, Edison is a commercial hub (home to Menlo Park Mall and Little India) and is a bedroom community of New York City within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the township was the state's sixth-most-populous municipality, with a population of 107,588, an increase of 7,621 (+7.6%) from the 2010 census count of 99,967, which in turn reflected an increase of 2,280 (+2.3%) from the 97,687 counted in the 2000 census. What is now Edison Township was originally incorporated as Raritan Township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1870, from portions of both Piscataway and Woodbridge Township. The township was originally named after the Raritan indigenous people. Portions of the township were taken to form Metuchen on March 20, 1900, and Highland Park on March 15, 1905. The name was officially changed to Edison Township on November 10, 1954, in honor of inventor Thomas Edison, who had his main laboratory in the Menlo Park section of the township.
Before the 1921 destruction of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, Black residents had created a remarkable center of business and community life. The district included stores, professional offices, entertainment venues and homes owned by Black citizens. Understanding Greenwood means learning what was built—not only what was burned.
MORE →Shirley Chisholm, elected in 1968.
