Thomas Alva Edison was born on February
11, 1847, in Milan, Ohio. He
experienced hearing loss at an early age.
He was an imaginative and curious
child. He did poorly in school, though,
perhaps because he could not hear his
teacher. His mother then educated him
at home.
When Thomas was a teenager he
became a telegraph operator. Telegraphy
was one of the nation’s most important
communication systems at the time.
Thomas was good at sending and taking
messages in Morse code. He loved tinkering
with telegraphic instruments, and
he developed several improvements for
them. By early 1869 he had quit his
telegraphy job to become a full-time
inventor.
Edison built research laboratories at
Menlo Park andWest Orange, New
Jersey. He later created companies that
produced and sold his successful inventions.
Although most of his life was devoted to
his work, Edison’s family was also
important to him. He married twice and
had six children. Edison died on October
18, 1931.
#More to explore
Telecommunication • Telegraph
Education
Education is the process of gathering
information about the world and oneself.
Formal education is learning that
takes place in schools or with private
teachers. People also learn from their
families, with friends, while traveling,
and in many other places. This is called
informal education.
Edison also
worked to
develop the
electric power
systems that
bring electricity
into homes
and businesses.
Thomas Edison poses with a phonograph
that recorded sound on sheets of tinfoil.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Education 105
Formal Education
Many children around the world go to
free, public schools. Others go to private
schools, which charge tuition, or fees.
Some study at home with parents, which
is called home schooling. Some have
tutors, or private teachers.
Different countries provide different
levels of formal education. In the United
States formal education starts with preschool
and kindergarten. At about age 6,
children begin primary school, which is
also called grade school or elementary
school. Some communities have middle
schools or junior high schools for students
between 11 and 14 years old.
High school, or secondary school, lasts
from about age 14 until about age 18.
Many students continue their education
after high school. Some attend trade
schools or community colleges. Others
go to state colleges and universities.
Some go to private colleges and
universities.
Adults who have finished their formal
education can continue their education
at night or on weekends. The courses
they take are known as continuing education
or adult education classes.
History
In the earliest times children got their
education directly from parents and
other adults. They learned mainly skills
for survival.
Eventually people established cities and
advanced civilization. As societies developed
they set up schools to teach reading,
writing, arithmetic, and other
subjects.
The first schools were usually just for
boys. Most of the students came from
rich and powerful families. Often the
purpose of their education was religious
training.
Some schools had other purposes as
well. Many schools focused on military
training. Sometimes youths attended
special schools to learn the art of public
speaking. These skills were meant to
help them become future leaders.
Most girls received their education at
home. They learned cooking, sewing,
and other useful skills.
Over time education became available
to more people, not just the rich and
powerful. The governments of some
countries set up public systems of
education in the 1800s. More schools
opened to girls.
Education gives students the answers to
many questions.
106 Education BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
In the United States many early schools
had only a single room and one teacher.
Children of every age learned together.
In 1751 Benjamin Franklin founded a
secondary school—the first of many.
Students studied such subjects as
history, mathematics, and navigation. In
the 1800s free elementary and
secondary schools opened across the
United States.
During the 1900s, as education became
more important, teachers colleges
opened. The requirements for becoming
a teacher became stricter. Teaching
became a highly respected profession.
#More to explore
Arithmetic •Writing
Eel
Eels are fishes that look like snakes.
There are hundreds of different species,
or types, of eel. They belong to a large
group of fishes called the eel order.
Where Eels Live
Many species of eel live in warm, salty
seas and oceans. Morays and congers are
two well-known types of marine, or sea,
eel. Freshwater eels live in rivers, lakes,
and ponds on almost every continent.
They travel to saltwater to reproduce.
Physical Features
Adult eels range in length from 4
inches (10 centimeters) to 11.5 feet
(3.5 meters) long. An eel has a pointed
head, sometimes with a wide mouth
and sharp teeth. A fin runs along the
back and around the tip of the tail. The
body is usually smooth. Deep-sea eels
are often black or gray. Eels that live in
tropical reefs may have bright colors
and patterns.
The American and European eels live in
freshwater. Congers are marine, or sea, eels.
