Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman who lived from 1847 to 1931. Some of his most important inventions included the phonograph, a device for recording and replaying sound; improvements to the telephone; and a commercially viable electric light bulb. The document discusses several of Edison's inventions and why he created them, such as developing storage batteries for electric vehicles and creating early telegraphs and communication systems to allow people to connect over long distances.