Mina Miller Edison, Thomas Edison's second wife, died. She had married Thomas in 1886 and outlived him by several years.

Thomas Alva Edison died in his home, 'Glenmont,' in West Orange, New Jersey, due to complications from diabetes.

Outbreak of World War I in Europe leads to shortages of imported chemicals for American industries. This led to Edison to focus on producing phenol and other wartime products in his facilities.

The Edison's Kinétoscope Belge was founded in Brussels. Businessman Ladislas-Victor Lewitzki, living in London but active in Belgium and France, took the initiative in starting this business.

The Edison's Kinétoscope Français, a Belgian company, was founded in Brussels with the rights to sell the kinetoscopes in Monaco, France and the French colonies.

Officially the kinetoscope entered Europe when wealthy American businessman Irving T. Bush bought a dozen machines from the Continental Commerce Company of Frank Z. Maguire and Joseph D. Baucus. Bush placed the first kinetoscopes in London.

Thomas Edison first publicly exhibited the kinetograph and kinetoscope. The kinetograph and kinetoscope were both first publicly exhibited.

A judge ruled that Thomas Edison's electric light improvement claim for 'a filament of carbon of high resistance' was valid. This ruling was significant in Edison's ongoing patent battles regarding the incandescent light bulb.

Thomas Edison married Mina Miller in Akron, Ohio. Mina was the daughter of inventor Lewis Miller and became Edison's second wife.

Mary Stilwell Edison, Thomas Edison's first wife, died at the age of 29 of unknown causes. She had met Thomas two months earlier and was an employee at one of his shops.

The US patent office ruled that Thomas Edison's electric light patent was based on the work of William E. Sawyer and was, therefore, invalid. This decision triggered a period of litigation that lasted nearly six years.

The first standardized incandescent electric lighting system employing overhead wires began service in Roselle, New Jersey. This marked an important advancement in the widespread adoption of electric lighting.

In Pearl Street, New York City, Thomas Edison's 600 kW cogeneration steam-powered generating station, Pearl Street Station's, electrical power distribution system was switched on, providing 110 volts direct current (DC), initially to 59 customers in lower Manhattan, quickly growing to 508 customers with 10,164 lamps. This event marked the beginning of commercial electricity distribution.

Thomas Edison founded the Edison Illuminating Company. This company was crucial in establishing the first investor-owned electric utility and developing a system for electricity distribution.

Thomas Edison was granted U.S. patent 223,898 for an electric lamp using 'a carbon filament or strip coiled and connected to platina contact wires'. The patent described several ways of creating the carbon filament including 'cotton and linen thread, wood splints, papers coiled in various ways'.

Thomas Edison made the first public demonstration of his incandescent light bulb in Menlo Park. This event marked a significant milestone in the development of electric lighting.

Thomas Edison filed for U.S. patent 223,898 for an electric lamp using a carbon filament or strip coiled and connected to platina contact wires. This was a crucial step towards creating a commercially viable incandescent light bulb.

Thomas Edison attempted to measure the heat from the solar corona during the total Solar eclipse using the tasimeter, a highly sensitive device he invented to measure infrared radiation. The device was not patented since Edison could find no practical mass-market application for it.

Thomas Edison married Mary Stilwell, who was an employee at one of his shops. They had three children together.

Thomas Edison received his first patent for the electric vote recorder, U.S. patent 90,646. However, he found little demand for the machine, leading him to move to New York City shortly thereafter.