To conclude Edison invented the phonograph, helped improve the light bulb and invented the first motion picture camera. These inventions make him a great American. “Thomas Alva Edison was the most prolific inventor in American History. He amassed a record 1,093 patents covering key innovations and minor improvements in a wide range of fields, including telecommunications, electric power, sound recording, motion pictures, primary and storage batteries, and mining and cement technology.” (Rutgers University) “On the day of his funeral, President Herbert Hoover asked Americans to dim the lights in their homes as a way of paying tribute to the man who had given them electricity.” (Daniels) “Thomas Edison is considered one of the most prolific inventors in history. He invented the phonograph and the first motion picture camera, and improved the light bulb.” (A&E Networks) “By the time of his death in 1931, Edison had received 1,093 U.S. patents, a total still untouched by any other inventor.”