1879

Dear Diary,

            I see the light . . . literally!  Today something incredible happened!  Well it all started with this guy named Thomas Edison.  He is a genius!  He invented electric lights.  I was lucky to be able to be in Menlo Park on December 31, 1879.  That is the day that Edison made the first public demonstration of his invention, the light bulb.  This is great because now when I wake up in the middle of the night I don’t have to light a candle to be able to see.  Well you see what happens to me a lot is when I wake up and I’m half asleep, I always seem to burn myself.  Because of Thomas Edison, I will no longer get burned.  The even better thing is that because of this, my family will be able to save money.  Guess what he said.  He said “We will make electricity so cheap that only the rich will burn candles.”  I am so glad that I was able to experience this huge step forward in technology.  Hey, look at this real life photo I got of Thomas Edison!

           

Unfortunately I want not able to see Andrew Carnegie in action, but I have heard a lot about this guy. I heard that he is a robber baron, which is a term used for a powerful 19^th century American businessman. He is also a self-made billionaire. His story is so inspirational; he has a true “rags to riches” kind of a story. He earned most of his fortune in the steel industry. This year he founded the Carnegie Steel Company, a step which made him one of the “Captains of Industry.” I wish I would have been able to meet him, but nevertheless, he has inspired me because I am just a common boy who wished to one day be like him, wealthy and have no worries.