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History Scrapbook : A Glimpse at the Lives of Three Exemplary Americans

Thomas Edison

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up . The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time

Thomas Alva Edison (February 11 , 1847 - October 18 , 1931 ) was a successful American inventor and businessman . 1 ,093 U .S . patents are credited to his name , excluding the many patents he held in other countries . This fact provides a sound basis as to why people regard him as one of the most prolific

inventors in history

One of his most profitable inventions was the phonograph , which he started to develop in 1877 . His earlier work on the machine involved tin cylinders and manual means of operation , but he was subsequently able to upgrade the design of the invention with a motor and cylinders made of wax by 1887

He is probably known by most people as the inventor of the incandescent lamp , which he worked on from 1878 to 1879 . Contrary to what some people might believe , he was not actually the first individual to come up with the idea of using electricity for lighting , but was instead the first inventor to produce a durable light bulb which could be manufactured at an affordable cost

His other achievements laid the basis for , or impacted several areas such as electricity generation and distribution , as well as moving pictures ' or movies , among others . He made devices for the United States government during World War I and his laboratory in West Orange New Jersey became the model for modern research laboratories

He was awarded the Congressional gold medal in 1928 for his numerous significant contributions to society

Franklin Roosevelt

There is nothing to fear but fear itself

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30 , 1882 - April 12 , 1945 ) was the thirty-second president of the United States of America . His presidential administration would span four terms and lasted from his first inauguration on March 4 , 1933 to his death on April 12 , 1945 During his term in office , he was able to face two of the most critical events which occurred in America 's history - the Great Depression and World War II

In what was called the worst economic crisis in U .S . history , or Great Depression , that had started from 1929 , President Roosevelt immediately rose to action by initiating his New Deal policies . His administration 's actions ranged from offering jobs to unemployed individuals to assisting closed banks towards reopening . This also included the Social Security Act of 1935 , which was drafted to create a comprehensive social security system , in the hopes of preventing an economic crisis of the same magnitude as the Great Depression

The unprovoked Japanese attack on the U .S . naval base in Pearl Harbor on December 7 , 1941 was seen by President Roosevelt as .a date which will live in infamy , and would help establish the American government 's decision to be directly involved in World War II

Michael Jordan

I can...