How did thomas edison propose marriage to his second wife Mina Miller?

Thomas Edison, or Thomas Alva Edison, is well-known as one of the most prolific inventors in history. But how did Thomas Edison propose marriage to his second wife, Mina Miller? The answer to this fascinating question lies in the genius of Morse code—a communication method that Edison had a particular fondness for.

Born on February 11, 1847, in Milan, Ohio, USA, Edison’s early life gave little indication of the monumental role he would later play in shaping modern technology. His parents, Samuel Ogden Edison Jr. and Nancy Mathew Elliot, were pivotal figures in his upbringing. Samuel was a political activist who had been exiled, while Nancy was a dedicated teacher. The youngest of seven siblings, Thomas faced a range of challenges, including hearing difficulties that progressively worsened over the years, leaving him nearly deaf by midlife.

Despite his struggles in traditional schooling, Edison was homeschooled by his mother, receiving formal education for only about 12 weeks. This limited schooling didn’t stifle his creativity; in fact, it likely nurtured his inventive spirit, one that would lead to extraordinary innovations. But let’s dive deeper into the personal side of his life, specifically how did Thomas Edison propose marriage to his second wife Mina Miller?

Thomas the Entrepreneur

Thomas was an enterprising young man, selling vegetables, candy, and newspapers on the train. One day he saved a small child from a speeding train. The child’s father was very grateful to Edison, and he gave him training as a telegraph operator.

As a telegraph operator, Edison got interested in communications which would be the focus of many of his inventions. He settled in New York and began his career as an inventor.

The stock ticker was one of his earliest inventions. The gold and stock Telegraph Company offered him for the rights to his creativity. In 1869 he gained the exclusive rights to the electric vote recorder. He relocated to Newark, New Jersey and started a small laboratory and hired a machinist.

He expanded his operations and moved to Menlo Park, New Jersey. He married twice in his lifetime. He got married to Mary Stilwell in 1871 and had three children.

But here, I’m going to unveil some secrets regarding how did Thomas Edison propose marriage to his second wife Mina Miller?

Inventor and an Industrialist

The invention that first made him famous and took his status to greater heights was the phonograph, invented in 1877. The same year he invented the carbon microphone used in telephones, radio broadcasting, and public address works.

He invented the first commercially practical incandescent light. In 1878, he founded the Edison Electric Light Company in New York City. He then initiated an industrial research laboratory in West Orange, New Jersey, which built the base of the primary research laboratory for the Edison Lighting Company.

He later transformed himself from an inventor to a hardworking industrialist and business director. He even started a suitable storage battery that could power an electric car. After the tragic death of his wife in 1884, he tied the knot for the second time to Mina Miller. The couple had three children.

He was made the head of the naval consulting board during world war I. A profound advocator of non-violence, he indulged in a project that designed defensive weapons, such as submarine detectors and gun location techniques.

His last patent was an apparatus for holding objects during the electroplating process. He breathed his last breath on October 18, 1931, after suffering from complications of diabetes at the age of 84.

How did Thomas Edison Propose Marriage to his second wife Mina Miller? It was his ingenuity.

Thomas Edison was, without a doubt, the most significant inventor and businessman the 19th century had seen. It was Ezra Gilliland, a business associate and close friend of Edison, who paved the way for Edison to meet Mina; otherwise, they would have never met.

The death of his first wife, Mary Stillwell Edison, on August 9, 1884, had left Thomas ill-equipped for his new responsibilities to his three young children. He had married the beautiful Mary when she was sixteen. He was one of the most worthy bachelors; he looked for help, and he enjoyed female company, Old friend Gilliland, and his wife, set out to correct the situation.

The Gilliland lured Edison to visit their Boston home in early 1885. They arranged for a succession of attractive women to meet the well-known Edison. Whether this was done with or without Edison’s consent remains debatable. Edison was on and off visiting Gilliland’s home in Boston, and the reason was Mina, the beautiful, charming girl to whom Edison was attracted.

Powerless to keep Mina off his mind, Thomas decided to strike rather than retreat. He arranged a visit to Chautauqua to carry out his search and to get to know Mina’s family. But if we go back to that time, we find that nobody knew how did Thomas Edison propose marriage to his second wife Mina Miller?

However, Thomas Edison’s ingenuity went far beyond harnessing electricity. Thomas was also playful. He taught his second wife, Mina, the secret language morse code. This way, the two love birds could secretly communicate with each other.

How did Thomas Edison propose marriage to his second wife Mina Miller? This question has always been intriguing, and columns of magazines are full of gossip about the wives of celebrities and how famous people get married, and Edison, the inventor, is no exception.

Edison met Mina when she was 20 years old and he was 39. Fate had blessed them with three children, and their marriage lasted 43 years until Edison passed away.