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10. Edison Was Home-schooledThomas Edison was home schooledThomas Alva Edison was a sickly child. Between his illnesses and his family’s move to Port Huron, Michigan, he was unable to begin school until the age of seven. Full of curiosity from a very early age, Edison was always asking questions and had difficulty keeping his attention focused on the task at hand. He was unable to sit still for very long and was uncomfortable with the school’s rigid environment.After attending school for only 12 weeks, Edison had established himself as a difficult student, and his teacher deemed him unmanageable. Upon learning of this characterization of her son, Edison’s mother was very angry. A former teacher herself, Mrs. Edison quickly removed him from the school and assumed the role of home school educator.Nancy Edison supported her son’s insatiable thirst for knowledge. By teaching her son reading, writing and arithmetic and allowing him to pursue any subject of interest, Mrs. Edison helped him to channel his energy in a positive direction. He began to realize that his learning possibilities were endless and he could actually teach himself anything he wished. This set him on a path of constant self-improvement which he continued throughout his life. Edison credited his mother for shaping the person he became.Edison never returned to formal schooling. At the age of 12 he began operating a newsstand aboard a railroad train that ran between his hometown of Port Huron and Detroit. Wishing to make use of every moment, Edison set up both a printing press and laboratory in an unused rail car where he could be found in his spare time.9. Edison Was Almost Totally DeafThomas Edison was a bit hard of hearing.One of the country’s most prolific inventors, Thomas Edison achieved great success while suffering from a severe disability for much of his life. While the exact cause is unclear, Edison’s sense of hearing began to decline at the age of 12. Although his father and one of his son’s suffered from hearing loss as well, indicating it was a genetic condition, there were several incidents in his life that may have made the disability even worse.Edison suffered from scarlet fever, and it is suspected that he had numerous untreated ear infections since there were no antibiotics available at the time for that condition. It is also reported that a train conductor struck Edison on both ears as punishment for one of his experiments causing a fire on the railroad train. Edison himself believed his disability may have been caused when someone, attempting to keep him from falling off a moving train, grabbed him by the ears. Edison claims to have felt something click in his inner ear and began having hearing difficulties after that.Many were surprised that Edison did not help his own cause by inventing an effective hearing aid. While Edison did dabble in it for a bit, his efforts were far less than wholehearted. By his own admission, Edison actually saw his hearing loss as a positive thing. He claimed it allowed him to get much better sleep than most. He also felt it eliminated distractions while he was working. He was able to drown out the constant noise of everyday conversations and was thus able to work more efficiently.8. Edison’s Heroics Helped Launch His CareerThomas Edison vs. the TrainBy 1862, Thomas Edison was already an entrepreneur and the publisher of a small newspaper. Only 15 years of age, he had spent much of the previous three years experimenting with chemicals and anything else he could get his hands on. He was proud of each success but learned even more from each failure and continued his quest for knowledge.As fate would have it, Edison experienced a life-changing moment at the very tracks on which he had spent his early teen years. Jimmie MacKenzie, the three-year old son of a railroad station master, had wandered away and ended up on the railroad tracks. Edison, who just happened to be at the Mount Clemens Train Depot that day saw a runaway train bearing down on the child. Realizing he had to do something, Edison managed to push the little boy out of harm’s way just before the train reached them. When the boy’s father realized what Edison had done, he tried to think of a way to adequately repay him for his heroism. He decided to teach Edison all about railway telegraphy, leading to a full-time job for the teenager.For the next five years, Edison traveled across the country as a telegrapher. The need for skilled telegraph operators was great as the Civil War was underway. Not one to be satisfied doing the same thing over and over, Edison began working on the telegraph equipment in attempts to improve its performance. After returning to Michigan for a short time, Edison left for the east coast. He was confident by this time that he could make a living as an inventor. He settled in Boston, Massachusetts, where he submitted his first patent.7. Edison Designs A Vote Tabulating MachineThomas Edison’s Vote Tabulating Machine. Hold it, this can’t be the right picture. You get the idea.Soon after arriving in Boston, Edison, along with other inventors, began working on ways to assist state and federal legislative bodies work more efficiently. He concentrated his efforts on a way to quickly and accurately tabulate votes placed on various pieces of legislation. Legislation was deemed either passed or not passed on the sole basis of a voice vote. Edison believed he could invent a machine that would be much more objective in its counting. In 1868, he submitted his first patent request for an Electrographic Vote Recorder.Edison’s invention consisted of a device on which all legislator’s names were listed. When placing a vote, the legislators would move a switch to a “yes” or “no” position which would then record via electric impulse and transfer to a chemically treated paper providing a printout of each vote cast. A colleague of Edison named Dewitt Roberts was intrigued by the machine and paid Edison $100 for a share in its revenue. Convinced the invention would be welcomed, Roberts took it and presented it to the members of Congress in Washington, D.C. To both men’s surprise, the invention was not enthusiastically received. Legislators were not anxious to have votes tabulated so quickly as they believed it would interfere with their ability to sway voters, make deals and use a filibuster to change outcomes.Unable to drum up any interest in his invention, Edison abandoned the production of the vote recorder. He did, however, learn a valuable lesson going forward. He made a vow to himself never to work on a product that he wasn’t sure the public had an interest in.6. Edison Opens Research And Development Center In New JerseyThomas Edison in his Menlo Park laboratoryAfter a few unsuccessful ventures while still in Boston, Thomas Edison began losing investors. He decided to move to New York as he had been working on an improved stock ticker machine. To his delight, Western Union, his employer, offered to purchase all of his machines for $40,000. This was enough to set up business in a Newark, New Jersey warehouse. The business produced improved telegraphic and stock ticker equipment while Edison was hard at work on new ideas. He fell in love with one of his employees, 16 year-old Mary Stilwell, and married her in 1871.In 1875, Edison felt he had outgrown the warehouse in Newark and purchased land in the small town of Menlo Park, New Jersey. With the help of his father, Edison built not only a main laboratory, but other specific use buildings as well. Edison officially moved the business out of Newark in 1876. Menlo Park was the first research and development center of its kind in the United States. Many of Edison’s greatest inventions occurred here, and he became fondly known as “The Wizard of Menlo Park.” Edison himself named the site “Invention Factory” in 1878. He certainly put this small town in New Jersey on the map.Meanwhile, Edison also moved his wife and two children, Marion and Thomas Alva Jr. to Menlo Park. His third child, William, was born two years later. Though they were close by, Edison was so engrossed in his work that he spent little time at home. His relationships with his family, particularly his children, suffered as a result.5. Edison Creates The First PhonographThomas Edison invents the PhonographEverett Historical / Shutterstock.comEdison had his first Menlo Park success in November of 1877. He had been attempting to record human sound since his breakthrough improvement on Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone. Edison was not adverse to taking another’s invention and improving on it and in no time at all had improved on Bell’s product. Graham had been unable to strengthen the weak signal of his device before introducing it. Edison seized the opportunity to make the device better by improving the quality and distance of the voices sent. Edison discovered that substituting acarbon disc for the parchment membrane used by Bell did just that.In February of 1878, Edison submitted a patent request for what he termed a phonographor speaking machine. Made from two tubes, a diaphragm, a scribing and a detecting stylus, a small metal drum and tin foil, the phonograph successfully recorded his voice reciting the popular children’s poem “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” By taking the vibrations of the diaphragm and carving grooves into the tin foil, Edison’s invention worked. As Edison had done to Bell with the telephone, Bell was able to improve on the phonograph by replacing the flimsy tin foil with discs of wax so the machine could be sold commercially.This original invention catapulted Edison into world-wide fame as one of the greatest inventors ever.4. Edison Invents The Light BulbThomas Edison invents the lightbulbAfter working on his idea of electric lights for some time, Edison was finally able to introduce his first attempt in 1878. He had discovered that when placed in a vacuum of air, a paper filament, attached to wires, would burn and glow for a very short duration while the paper burned out. The short illumination time was impractical and not worth the expense of production. Dissatisfied with his original prototype and losing investors’ money because of the delay, Edison and his employees kept working on it. Finally, an associate named Lattimer, after numerous tests, discovered that if the filament was made of thread that was carbonized, the light would last a lot longer. Still not satisfied, Edison tested over 6000 various materials until he found what he was looking for. After much testing, Edison settled on carbonized bamboo for his filaments, allowing his light bulbs to burn for close to 600 hours. His dream of inventing a consumer practical electric light bulb was finally a reality.Edison went on to first light all of his own facilities with these new electric bulbs and then turned his attention towards doing the same in the financial district of Manhattan. Edison’s lighting system was based on direct current only, limiting its distance to three miles for each section. After the discoveries of Westinghouse and Tesla, an alternating current system was put into place.3. Edison’s First Wife Dies From Possible Morphine OverdoseMorphine overdose may have killed Thomas Edison’s first wife.In 1884, Edison and his children suffered an unbearable tragedy. His wife, Mary, died at the age of 29. While there were reports that Mary died of typhoid fever, the official cause of death was listed as “congestion of the brain.” This type of diagnosis could point to a possible overdose of morphine administered to Edison’s wife at that time.New information, uncovered in 2006 by the authors of “The Edison Papers,” a group based at Rutgers University in New Jersey, though circumstantial, tells of the common practice in the 1880s of using morphine, as well as other similar type drugs, to treat ailments claimed by young women of the time. Morphine was not the controlled substance it is today. It was available everywhere and used as a treatment for numerous medical issues.Information recently found in digital online resources indicate that doctors believed that the side effects of opiate type drugs could result in congestion of the brain and could explain the death of someone so young. Although not confirmed, researchers have uncovered information pointing to the possibility that Mary Edison was an abuser of morphine.There is evidence that Edison attempted to revive his wife with shock treatments once she became comatose. While it is unclear whether or not he was aware of her possible addiction, it is a strange coincidence that he chose to try a medically suggested remedy for morphine overdose to help her.Edison was reportedly devastated by the loss of his wife and blamed himself for being away from home so often. It became a motivating factor later in his life.2. Edison Remarries And Forms Edison General Electric CompanyGeneral Electric. Yes, that GE360b / Shutterstock.comIn 1886, 39 year-old Thomas Edison married 20 year-old Mina Miller. The next year, Edison closed his laboratory in Menlo Park and opened a new facility in West Orange, New Jersey. He also purchased a home in the country’s first planned community, Llewellyn Estates. A new life began for Edison. He had three more children with his second wife. Not wanting to make the same mistakes he made with his older children, Edison made a point to spend more time at home with his family.In 1890, Edison formed the Edison General Electric Company. The following year, Edison merged with his major competitor, the Thomson-Houston Company. The competition for business proved to be too much for each company to stand alone. This could be described as one of the greatest mergers of all time as the General Electric Co. was born. General Electric remains today as one of the most successful businesses of all time.The following year, Edison patented both a kinetegraph camera and a kinetescope viewer allowing a single individual to view moving pictures using a crank. Edison’s presence in the motion picture industry was short-lived however.Edison continued to invent and perfect existing inventions up until his death. He filed his final patent request on January 31, 1931.1. Edison’s Company Provides Construction Material For Yankee StadiumEdison’s cement company helped build the original Yankees Stadiumeddtoro / Shutterstock.comEdison spent a great deal of time in his later years trying to develop an effective ore-milling system. In 1881 he founded the Edison Ore-Milling Company, confident that his patented process of separating iron from rock using an electromagnet would prove successful. Working with his associate William Dickson and expert in the mining field John Birkinbine, Edison tried to refine his processes so that there would be a market for the iron produced. The process proved to be too expensive and Edison closed the company after only a few years in operation.Not one to give up easily, Edison made another attempt in the late 1880s. He first built a plant in Pennsylvania close to the mines he was trying to extract ore from. In 1889 he built a very large ore crushing plant in Ogdensburg, New Jersey. Production problems persisted in spite of all his efforts, and the company closed its doors for good in 1899.Through all the frustration he faced trying to make his ore-milling business profitable, Edison learned that there was a market for the waste sand that resulted. Originally selling the waste sand to other cement companies, Edison decided to go into that business for himself and in 1899 founded the Edison Portland Cement Company. Edison made great strides in streamlining the production of cement using kilns twice the size of those previously used. He chose to rent the larger kilns to his competitors, increasing their production and making his competition much stiffer.Edison thought there would be many uses for his cement, especially in home construction. While there was some interest initially, the process proved to be too complicated and costly for most home builders.Struggling financially, the Edison Portland Cement Company was awarded the contract for materials to be used in the construction of the original Yankee Stadium, which was completed in 1923.The Edison Portland Cement Company was unable to stay in business and closed a few years later.Thomas Edison never felt that he failed at anything. Although a number of his inventions were unsuccessful, Edison always pointed to what he learned during the process and how it would help him going forward. Although he demanded much from his employees, he was always open to their suggestions and did not hesitate to implement them where he saw fit. Edison’s tenacity, work ethic and attention to detail was inspirational to all he came in contact with.Although he received the most acclaim for perfecting the electric light bulb, Edison said his favorite invention was the phonograph.Although a disappointment to his older children with his frequent absence, Edison learned from this as well and made sure he made his family a top priority in his later life.Thomas Alva Edison died on October 18, 1931 leaving behind an unbelievable legacy of improving the lives of people all over the world with his numerous inventions.

As others have said, by the odds, the bigger shock was Ali beating Liston. Sonny was a 7–1 favorite, and was even a favorite for their rematch!George, on the other hand, was a 3–1 favorite over Ali, so obviously, if you go strictly by the odds, that was less of a shock.In the light of history, and what no one knew at the time, was the Foreman fight was a far, far, bigger upset. No one knew Sonny was old, and badly injured entering the fight, while his favorite pupil, Big George, was at the height of his prowess…still, in both fights, Ali had plain old luck on his side.CREDIT PICTURE SPORTS ILLUSTRATEDSonny Liston was the more heavily favored fighter by far. But no one knew his age, or his injuries. In the fullness of time, you can clearly see that fight was nowhere near the upset that Zaire was over Big George…Things we did not know, or which were not taken into account in assessing which victory was a greater upset:Sonny was at least 14 years older than Ali, according to prison and police records;Sonny had sustained such a serious left knee injury his fight before Ali had to be postponed; the injury had not fully healed, Sonny could not run on that knee, nor pivot or move efficiently forward or back off of it.Sonny had also seriously injured his shoulder, which would literally almost come apart against AliGeorge was 7 years younger than Ali;Ali’s incredible speed, which was such a factor against Sonny, was gone completely; against George, he was depending on courage, guile, and the willingness to take a licking and keep on ticking.In both fights, Ali was just incredibly lucky - every single factor went his way.What really happened at Liston-Ali OneSonny had been the most dominant heavyweight in history from 1958 to 1964, when he faced Ali.A good barometer of how good Sonny Liston was comes with his twice destroying a very good heavyweight champion, Floyd Patterson, in the first round each time - when he was much older than Patterson!Nor was it a freak accident when Liston wiped the floor up with Patterson - Boxing writer and historian Bobby Franklin said, while marveling at Liston's skills at such an advanced age:“it is interesting to note that while the fights were blow outs, Liston did not come out swinging wildly. He took Floyd apart methodically, setting his man up with left jabs and solid body shots. Sonny showed fast hands, using an accurate left jab, along with hooks and uppercuts. He had a definite game plan and executed it perfectly. If they fought a hundred times during that period the result would have been the same."The fights which best exemplify Liston’s strengths are his two short contests with Cleveland Williams. Monte Cox said it best:“Liston used beautiful head movement and what may be the division’s greatest ever jab to avoid most of Williams’ punches and to keep him off balance. Williams does occasionally land with extraordinarily powerful shots, but Sonny shakes each one off. In their combined five rounds of boxing over the course of their two fights, Liston is only shaken briefly once, and never in danger of being dropped. The most astounding thing about his approach is that he is equally comfortable coming forward or retreating—which he does whenever he feels pressured. This runs entirely contrary to the perceived wisdom about Sonny Liston. Although he was a finisher of comparable stature to Dempsey, Louis, Marciano, and Frazier, he was the only member of this shark-like group who was a boxing conservative.”Manny Steward, who loved boxing from the time he was a child, said in Heavyweight Boxing from Eastside with Manny Steward:“Sonny Liston, I watched Sonny Liston when I was a teenager do something that I’ve never seen any heavyweight do—walk through the whole division almost from being the number ten guy all the way up to the champion because he was that devastating like around ’57, and ’58, and ’59.”What happened to the monster who marched to the title?He got old, and very much injured.Sonny had fought only 13 minutes and seven seconds in the previous 4 years, and 4 minutes and 15 seconds in the past 19 months, and he expected Ali to wither like the others. He did not train properly, indeed, because of his knee and shoulder, could not train properly, sparred intermittently and consumed hot dogs, popcorn and beer. He had badly underestimated Ali and his speed, and the injury added to age and lack of conditioning doomed the Big Bear.Worse than age, Sonny was operating on a gimpy knee. His last fight before meeting Ali had to be postponed twice due to a left knee injury. It was still bothering him 8 months later when he faced Ali. He normally ran 6 miles a day - before Ali I Sonny was only able to run about 100 yards!Liston had tried to postpone the fight to rehab the knee and shoulder or have it surgically repaired.Liston had sought a postponement after the injury in training camp, of the fight for several months to let the injuries heal, which the Florida Commission denied. He evidently worsened the shoulder dramatically during the fight. Doctors said it was partially torn before the fight, and tore completely, probably in the first round - nonetheless by force of will he fought on until after the sixth, when he literally could not lift the arm at all)Remember also, he was operating on a bad, extremely painful knee, which had caused his last fight, eight months before Ali, to be postponed twice!Nonetheless the commission mandated he fight on.Jack Nilon, Liston's adviser, had said that Sonny injured the arm during training. The injury had not been disclosed, although Liston took time off from training prior to the fight. Nilon according to Liston and Ali: The Ugly Bear and the Boy Who Would Be King by Bob Mees said:“We didn’t want to give Clay any edge - if he had known Sonny was hurt, it would let him tee off on the bad shoulder and he was already too confident.”According to Boxrec, Nilon also said:“Liston hurt his shoulder during training, but they decided against postponing the fight, because we thought we could get away with it."https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Sonny_Liston_vs._Cassius_Clay_(1st_meeting)That was not inconsistent with other statements out of Liston’s camp that he believed injured or not he could win, but it is a matter of commission record that LIston formally asked for a medical postponement, which was denied without comment.It is certain that Sonny had suffered a torn biceps muscle and tendon in his left shoulder, and a severe rotator cuff tear. His purse had been ordered seized following the loss to Ali in the first fight, and the Miami Beach Boxing Commission did not officially release it until it had accepted medical verification of the injury.The Commission, confident it could steal Sonny’s purse, refused to accept his doctors, or even neutral doctor’s evaluation and verification of the seriousness of his injuries. No, they insisted on selecting their own doctors.And those commission Doctors determined that because of the injury, Liston was unable to answer the bell for the seventh round in the fight at Convention Hall.Those were commission doctors, hired to justify the seizure of Sonny’s purse - but the injuries were so severe they could not ignore the extent of them, and ruled he could not possibly have gone on, that no one could have.Dr. Alexander Robbins, chief physician for the Miami Beach Boxing Commission, diagnosed Liston’s injury as:“a torn tendon in his left shoulder.Tex Maule, writing for Sports Illustrated said that Liston's shoulder injury was serious, citing first Liston's inability to lift his arm:“There is no doubt that Liston's arm was damaged. In the sixth round, he carried it at belt level so that it was of no help in warding off the right crosses with which Clay probed at the cut under his left eye."Maule also got access to medical records:“A team of eight doctors inspected Liston's arm at St. Francis Hospital in Miami Beach and agreed that it was too badly damaged for Liston to continue fighting. The torn tendon had bled down into the mass of the biceps, swelling and numbing the arm.”Liston went to his Denver home after the fight, then went to Philadelphia for consultation with an orthopedic surgeon. The full extent of his incapacitation, and any treatment he received for it, surgery, or otherwise, will never be known.Dr. Richard C. Bennett of Detroit, who was been the personal physician of Joe Louis and Sugar Ray Robinson, said that:“the injury, caused by a sudden overstrain, was akin to tennis elbow. The pain alone would have been disabling.”And yet the cards were dead even when Liston could no longer raise his arm after the 6th, and had to throw in the towel. (One 58–56 Sonny, one 58–56 Ali, one even)A crippled, old, fighter put up a terrific fight until he literally could not lift his arm.The 2nd fight was a confluence of things, all working against Sonny and for AliMost historians agree that the second Liston vs Ali fight was a huge mess, and the officiating a disaster. That said, they also agree that Liston was down, unable to defend himself, and had the fight continued, Sonny would have taken a serious beating.The WBA, which had a rule against automatic rematches, stripped Ali for the second fight, put pressure on all fifty state boxing commissions not to license a rematch between the Ali and Liston, and it was extremely difficult to find a venue for the fight.Finally, Massachusetts agreed to hold the fight, which caused a suspension of the Massachusetts Boxing Commission by the WBA. The fight was set for November 16, 1964, at the Boston Garden. Liston was listed as a betting favorite by 13-5. Three days before the fight, Ali suffered an incarcerated inguinal hernia. He underwent immediate surgery at Boston City Hospital:“It was such a marvelously developed stomach, I hated to slice it up," said one of the attending physicians.Sonny had whipped himself into great shape for this fight, but at least 37, (and probably a lot older) he couldn’t hold his conditioning when the fight was delayed, and his knee and shoulder prevented another camp.The fight started slowly, with Liston advancing, using his reach and jab to try to control the distance. But as he stepped into a follow up right, Ali countered with a lightening fast counter right just as Liston stepped forward into it, and that was all she wrote.Angelo Dundee called what happened:“Slip, slide and bang!”Liston made a mistake that led directly to his knockout. Liston lunged as he threw his best punch, his left jab, hoping to follow it up with a straight right. As anyone in boxing can tell you, whenever a fighter lunges, he is off-balance and highly susceptible to getting knocked out with a quick counter. When you watch the film of the fight, anyone can see that Liston’s head is out over his front foot, which means that he was dangerously off-balance and wide open to a quick, powerful counter right hand.And Ali hit him with a perfect counter right, and down Sonny went.Liston, on his back, rolled over, got to his right knee and then fell on his back again. Many watching did not see Ali deliver the punch. The fight turned into complete chaos. Referee Jersey Joe Walcott, a former World Heavyweight Champion himself, had a hard time getting Ali to go to a neutral corner. Ali initially stood over his fallen opponent, gesturing and yelling at him:“Get up and fight, sucker!"After Liston arose, Walcott, who had never resumed his count, wiped off his gloves. He then left the fighters to go over to the timekeeper. Walcott would say after the fight:“The timekeeper was waving both hands and saying, 'I counted him out and the fight is over,' Nat Fleischer (editor of Ring) was seating beside the timekeeper and he was waving his hands, too, saying it was over."Walcott then rushed back to the fighters, who had resumed boxing, and stopped the fight and awarded Ali a first-round knockout victory.So again, luck, injuries, delays, the worst officiating in history, all added to Ali’s win.What really happened in Zaire at Ali-Foreman?Young George Foreman was the most feared heavyweight in history other than Sonny Liston, and Prime Tyson. He had a thunderous, accurate jab, incredible power in both hands, greater strength than practically anyone else who ever set foot in the ring, (with the possible exception of Sonny Liston and Jim Jeffries), he cut the ring off well - had he not fallen to Ali in Zaire, he would have terrorized the heavyweights for a decade.Prime George Foreman had Power, (with a capital P) and in his prime, was an astonishingly athletic and fast fighter who cut off the ring as well as anyone since Joe Louis, (who said Foreman cut the ring off better than him, and better than any other fighter, ever).All time greats such as Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis both commented that Foreman may have been the strongest heavyweight hitter that they had ever seen, certainly the strongest since Sonny Liston.Angelo Dundee noted this about Foreman before the fight with Frazier for the title:“He's got a jab like I've never seen on a heavyweight since Sonny Liston. He has a strong left hand. I mean strong. He can stop a man in his tracks."George Foreman at his awesome 1973 best may have been the second most powerful heavyweight champion ever. At 6’3 ½” and 220 pounds, with an 79” reach he was the most physically talented of the “super-heavyweights.” Consider that George Foreman, in his prime had the highest knockout percentage in boxing history, of anyone who fought real contenders.After his destruction of Ken Norton, he was 40-0 with 37 knockouts, for a knockout percentage of 92.50. In his career Foreman had 15 first round knockouts and 18 second round knockouts.That's 33 knockouts inside of the first 2 rounds! He had 46 knockouts that were 3 rounds or less, which is more than any other heavyweight champion. George Foreman’s incredible two round destruction of Joe Frazier was the most one-sided beating ever delivered upon an undefeated heavyweight champion.In his prime, George brought to the ring not only exceptional raw power and confidence but also a frightening arsenal of various punches. His uppercuts could lift a man off their feet, his hooks were paralyzing, his strong left jab was true, his right hand, although not often thrown straight was a decapitating blow thrown short or long. He used his massive arms to block punches and could parry punches with his rear hand. He would sometimes slap opponent’s guards down with his hands and then batter them with massive power shots to the head and body. The Foreman of 73-74 also may have been the best ever at cutting down and off the ring on his opponents.Joe Frazier said Foreman's jab:“stopped me dead in my tracks, I mean, his jab alone was like being hit by a bus!"Ali was not the same fighter who had defeated Sonny Liston, not after his near 4 year exile from boxing.The only medical expert to weigh in, Doctor Ferdie Pacheco covered this in Muhammad Ali: A View from the Corner, in which he wrote:“Ali was never the same fighter after his years out of the ring. That speed which made him so special was gone forever, and he had to depend on his ability to take a punch, and that led to terrible damage later in his career.”No one who knows the tiniest bit of anything about boxing believes 4 years away did not cost AliOther than Angelo Dundee, who certainly said it best:“Clay was speed, harmony in motion, an extraordinary sight to see. It seemed impossible to hit him. Ali, the guy that came back after his inactivity, was more flat-footed; he had to go in and fight and take more punishment.”It was an older, much slower, Ali who Big George faced in Zaire - and George still lost.George lost for three reasons in Zaire.First, he was badly cut before the fightThe fight had to be delayed - and he lost 5 weeks of sparring. George says:“I was in the best shape of my life at that point, and had the fight taken place then, I would have won."But it did not take place, although Foreman and Ali spent much of the summer of 1974 training in Zaire and getting their bodies used to the weather in the tropical African country. The fight was originally set to happen on September 24, but the fight was postponed after Foreman was cut during training. It was rescheduled for October 30, 1974.Fate intervened to help Ali, because Foreman was in great shape up until the fight had to be delayed for more than a month, after Foreman's sparring partner, Bill McMurray, cut Foreman near the right eye in mid September 1974. Foreman said:“Guy stuck his elbow up in me and I couldn't do anything, I was in the best shape of my life, at any time ... never before or since. Muhammad couldn't have stood up to me. But I couldn't run for 10 days to let the scar heal. Couldn't spar for 20 days. All I could do was hit the bag and run. All of the rhythm I had was gone.".That delay was deadly for George. He was not able to spar till right before the new date for the fight, and his timing was completely gone.That delay was deadly for George. He was not able to spar till right before the new date for the fight, and his timing was completely gone.The second reason he lost is he badly underestimated Ali's willingness to take a beating and completely misunderstood how Ali would fight him.George completely misread what style Ali was going to use. George expected Ali to run, and he would catch him. He never thought Ali would go to the ropes, and exchange with him.Styles make fights. Ali did not win the fight because Foreman simply because George got tired in the heat. Ali won with supreme self confidence, great preparation, and a fabulous fight plan.Shortly before travelling to the stadium, Ali had asked to speak on the telephone to Cus D'Amato, the legendary trainer who would later inspire Mike Tyson to become the youngest heavyweight champion.Ali's business manager Gene Kilroy said, in a June 5, 2016 interview with Jeremy Wilson said:“Cus was Ali’s boxing mentor.”According to Kilroy, D'Amato told Ali that Foreman was a bully and that it was imperative he threw his first punch with "bad intentions" to make Foreman's strength his weakness:“Fear is like fire, it can burn your house down, or it can cook your food," D'Amato told Ali.So Ali decided to open not with his jab, which everyone expected, but instead, to run at George and hit him with right hand leads. Ali had lost much of his handspeed and virtually all his foot speed, but his hands were still faster than George’s, and his using a right hand lead totally unexpected.Cus had also cautioned him:“You must do the unexpected.”And Ali did.Ali had also done extensive film study of Foreman, and took confidence from watching the video of Foreman knocking Frazier down six times to win the title. Kilroy says: "When Foreman knocked Joe down, George had his hands on the ropes in the neutral corner. Ali said::“No stamina. Wait till he hears round six, round seven, round eight’."The third reason he lost was his corner made absolutely no attempt to adjust their strategy when it was clear that Ali was doing the unexpected, and George was exhausting himself on the ropes.George repeatedly asked Dick Sadler:“what's happening, what should I do?"Not a word was given except:“keep hitting him!"Dundee said after the fight if he had been Foreman's trainer, he would have told him, go to the center of the ring, and tell Ali, you want the title, come get it. He said he would NEVER have let George continue to engage on the ropes.Though the smart money had George easily winning the fight, (prefight odds were 3 1/2 to 1 against Ali), Joe Frazier had an interesting take on it.:“I think he [Ali] might pull it off. He ain't going to do what Foreman thinks he is. I don't know what he will do, but I know what he won't, and that's what Foreman expects him to do."George believed then, and today, that fate, in the form of his pre-fight injury, and the failure of his corner to help him adapt to Ali in Zaire, caused that loss, and he believed - and so did Ali - that had they fought again, George would have carried the day.In an interview with Lance Pugmire of the LA Times after Ali's death, Foreman himself dissected what he did wrong in the fight.In addition to the injury affecting him, Foreman admitted he made a fatal error in not watching film of Ali before the fight:“Never studied one film, never dissected anything, He was such a good-looking guy, I'm like, 'I can beat him.' Never decided what his strength or weakness was."Foreman lamented in that interview, and since, that he "played right into Ali's hands" by believing the challenger was actually afraid of him as the fight got closer:“Muhammad was a master. He'd act as frightened as could be. I'd put a hand near his face and he'd act scared, Look, all those amateur boxing matches he had, Sonny Liston ... no way he was afraid of me."Blind Luck was on Ali’s side in both fightsSonny got old overnight, and came in with not just a bum knee, but a horribly injured shoulder. A man who depended on lateral movement and the best jab in history could not move laterally on the bad knee, nor get any power in his jab or hook as the shoulder went.Sonny had asked for a postponement to heal, and was denied.That was plain luck for Ali.George was in the best shape of his life, and then cut himself badly, and could not spar at all leading up to the fight. His timing went to hell. Worse, some of his conditioning was lost, and as it turned out, it was desperately needed.Finally, George’s corner failed him completely in not making any adjustments once they saw Ali using the ropes. Sadler knew all about the rope strategy from watching other fighters use it. Why he told George to keep attacking is beyond stupid - as Dundee said after the fight, he should have told George to go to the center of the ring and make Ali come out or lose the fight.Luck played a huge role in both fights, always for Ali.Lefty Gomez, an all-star pitcher for the New York Yankees in the 1930's, is credited with saying:“I'd rather be lucky than good."And boy, was Ali lucky in both fights.Still, though Sonny was a greater fighter than George, he was old, sick, and terribly injured. He couldn’t run at all, and couldn’t punch. George retained his youth, strength, and power. Beating George was, in hindsight, the far bigger upset.CREDIT TO:All rankings and statistics to BoxrecCREDIT FOR QUOTES AND DETAILS TO THE FOLLOWING:A Blues Song Just for Fighters: The Legend of Sonny Liston by JJ ParkerAli: A Life by Jonathan EigBoxing IllustratedBy George by George ForemanCox’s Corner “A Case for Sonny Liston” by Monte CoxGod in My Corner : A Spiritual Memoir by George ForemanGods of War by Springs ToledoListon and Ali: The Ugly Bear and the Boy Who Would Be King by Bob MeesMuhammad Ali: A Life by Jonathan EigMuhammad Ali: His Life and Times by Thomas HauserSonny Liston: His Life, Strife and the Phantom Punch by Rob SteenSonny Liston in a New Light: With 4 Excerpts from Sonny Liston by Paul GallenderThe Devil and Sonny Liston by Nick ToschesThe Fight by Norman Mailer

Great question.I tell you why so many ignorant people hate Tomas Edison:When Thomas Edison was a young mellow boy in school he would ponder about things and ideas giving the appearance he was not paying attention and his test scores were relatively low. He didn’t appear to be focused or motivated.One rainy day while Thomas was in class in 4th grade his teacher called him over to her desk in front of his classmates and placed in his small hands a sealed envelop with a note inside. She instructed the obedient little Thomas to “make sure you give this letter to you’re Mother and do not open it. Go now”. The little Thomas left the classroom and walked straight home with the sealed letter from his teacher in hand.In strict compliance Thomas did not open the sealed letter as instructed.Thomas happily arrived home earlier than usual much to his Mother’s surprise. She was very happy to see her young Son and gave him a hug and kiss, as usual.Thomas handed the letter to his Mother. In his presence she opened it took out the letter from his teacher and quietly read it to herself in silence and expressionless.Thomas was excited about the letter and urged his Mom to read it to him. Looking at the words on the paper she said, “Dear Mrs. Edison, you’re Son Thomas Edison is very intelligent and much to smart to be in my class. He is much smarter than the other children in class. Please place him in a more advanced class so he can reach his full intelligence.” signed teacher.Many life years passed and Thomas Edison’s Mom died. While he was cleaning out his Mom’s personal things he discovered that envelope with the letter from the teacher in it. He had never read it. He opened it and read it out loud to himself:“Dear Mrs. Edison, your Son Thomas Edison cannot concentrate and is stupid. I cannot tolerate him any further. I have removed him from my class. He is not to return. He will never accomplish anything unlike the the other children in my class.” signed Teacher.Tears flooded Thomas Edison’s adult eyes and the Spirit of Love swelled immensely in his heart for the the love, protective nature, positive encouragement and intelligence of his Mother concerning him."He led no armies into battle, he conquered no countries, and he enslaved no peoples... Nonetheless, he exerted a degree of power the magnitude of which no warrior ever dreamed. His name still commands a respect as sweeping in scope and as world-wide as that of any other mortal - a devotion rooted deep in human gratitude and untainted by the bias that is often associated with race, color, politics, and religion.""Be courageous! Whatever setbacks America has encountered, it has always emerged as a stronger and more prosperous nation....""Be brave as your fathers before you. Have faith and go forward"Inventor and Genius Thomas Alva Edison"1847 Born on February 11th at Milan, Ohio.1854 Moved to Port Huron, Mich.1857 Set up a chemical laboratory in the cellar of his home.1859 Became a newsboy and "candy butcher" on the trains of the Grand Trunk Railway, running between Port Huron and Detroit.1862 Printed and published "The Weekly Herald," the first newspaper ever to be typeset and printed on a moving train. The London Times features a story on him and his paper, giving him his first exposure to international notoriety.1862 Saved - from otherwise certain death in a train accident - the young son of J. U. Mackenzie, station agent at Mount Clemens, Mich. In gratitude, the child's father taught him telegraphy.1862 Strung a telegraph line from the Port Huron railway station to Port Huron village and worked in the local telegraph office.1863 Obtained his first position as a regular telegraph operator on the Grand Trunk Railway at Stratford Junction, Canada. Later, is resigned by them to help develop a duplex system of telegraphy1863-1868 Spent nearly five years as a telegraph "tramp operator" in various cities of the Central Western states, always experimenting with ways to improve the apparatus.1868 Entered the office of Western Union in Boston as a telegraph operator. Becomes friendly with other early electricians - especially a later associate of Alexander Graham Bell named Benjamin Franklin Bredding - who was much more knowledgeable than both himself and Bell on the state-of-the-art of telegraphy and electricity. Entered the private telegraph line business on a very modest scale. Resigned from Western Union - was about to be fired anyway - in order to conduct further experimentation on multiplexing telegraph signals.1868 Came up with his first patented invention, an Electrical Vote Recorder. Application for this patent was signed 0n October 11, 1968. Because the invention was way ahead of its time, it was heartily denigrated by politicians... He now becomes much more oriented towards making certain there is a strong public demand and associated market for anything he tries to invent.1869 Landed in New York City by way of a Boston steamship, poor, penniless, and in debt. While seeking work, chanced being in the operating room of the Gold & Stock Telegraph Company when their ticker apparatus broke down. No one but he was able to fix it, As a result, he was given a job as superintendent at the remarkable wage of $300 per month.1869 Went into partnership with Franklin L. Pope as an electrical engineer. Radically improved stock tickers and patented several associated inventions, among which were the Universal Stock Ticker and the Unison Device.1870 Received the first cash payment for one of his inventions, a $40,000 check. Sent money back to his financially desperate parents. Opened a manufacturing shop in Newark, where he made stock tickers and worked on developing the quadruplex telegraph.1871 Assisted Sholes, the inventor of the typewriter, in making the first successful working model of that device.1872-1876 Worked on and patented several of his most important inventions, including the motograph and automatic telegraph systems such as the quadruplex, sextuplex and multiplex telegraph which saved Western Union many millions of dollars in wiring. Also invented paraffin paper (which was first used for wrapping candies), the electric pen, the forerunner of the present day mimeograph machine, the carbon rheostat, the microtasimeter, etc.1876-1877 Invented the carbon telephone transmitter "button", which finally made telephony a commercial success. Significantly, this invention not only led to the development of the microphone, which made early radio possible, but the solid state "diode" or transistor which makes so many of today's electronic devices possible. Invented the phonograph. (The patent on which was later issued by the United States Patent Office - within two months after its application - without a single reference.)1878 Continued to improve the phonograph. Later in the year, went with an astronomical party to Rawlins, Wyoming for rest and to test his new microtasimeter during an eclipse of the sun. Associates key him in to the world-wide need for a workable incandescent light bulb. Upon returning, he began to investigate the "electric light problem in earnest."1878 Became the first to apply the term "filament" to a fine wire that glows when carrying an electric current. In a prophetic article in the North American Review he foreshadowed ten prominent uses for the phonograph - all since accomplished - including its combination with the telephone, which became a reality in 1914 with the perfection of the Telescribe.1879 Invented the first commercially practical incandescent electric lamp. The lamp itself was perfected on October 21st, 1879, on which day there was put into circuit the first bulb embodying the principles known as the "Edison modern incandescent lamp." This bulb maintained its incandescence for over 40 hours.1879 Made radical improvements on the construction of dynamos, including the mica laminated armature and mica insulated commutator. Also constructed the first practical generators for the systems of distribution of current for lighting. Invented and improved upon numerous systems of generation, distribution, regulation and, measurement of electric current and voltage. Invented sockets, switches, insulating tape, etc. (Meanwhile, he also invented gummed paper tape now commonly used in place of twine or string for securing packages.)1879 Constructed the first electric motor ever made for a 110 to 120 volt line at Menlo Park, N. J. This device is still in existence and operative, and is located in the Edison Historical Collection in New Jersey. On December 31, gave the first public demonstration of an electric lighting system in streets and buildings at Menlo Park, N. J., utilizing underground mains.1880 Invented further improvements in systems and details for electric lighting and laid the first groundwork for introducing them on a commercial basis. Established the first incandescent lamp factory at Menlo Park, N. J.1880 Invented a magnetic ore separator. Invented and installed the first life-sized electric railway for handling freight and passengers at Menlo Park, N. J.1881 Opened business offices at No. 65 Fifth Avenue, New York City. Established his second and improved commercial incandescent lamp factory at Harrison, N. J. Also organized and established shops at 104 Goerck St., 108 Wooster St., and 65 Washington St. in New York City, for the manufacture of dynamos, underground conductors, sockets, switches, fixtures, meters, etc.1882 On September 4th, he commenced operation of the first profit oriented central station in the United States in New York City, for the distribution of current for electric lighting.1882-1883 Designed and contracted for the first three-wire central station for distributing electric light, power, and heat - in standardized form - in Brockton, Massachusetts. By October, had completed construction of that station. Discovered a previously unknown phenomenon that later came to be known as the "Edison effect," but he called"Etheric Force."Specifically, determined that an independent wire, grid, or plate placed between the legs of the filament of an incandescent lamp acted as a "damper" or valve to control the flow of current. The associated Patent No. 307,031 was issued to him later that year. Twelve years later these previously unknown phenomena were recognized as electric waves in free space and became the foundation of wireless telegraphy.Most significantly, this discovery - along with his carbon button - involved the foundation principles upon which the diode was later invented,and upon which radio, television, and computer transistors are based. Moved from Newark to a new laboratory at Menlo Park...1883 Diric lighting in a simple wooden structure in Sunbury, Pa.1880-1887 Underwent his most strenuous years of invention as he extended and improved greatly upon his electric light, heat, and power systems. Took out over three hundred patents, many of which were of extraordinary and fundamental importance. The most were those relating to "dividing" electric power and standardizing the three-wire system and improving its associated generation and feeder system.1881 - 1887 Invented a system of wireless telegraphy, (by induction) to and from trains in motion, or between moving trains and railway stations. The system was installed on the Lehigh Valleys R. R. in 1887, and was used there for several years. Invented a wireless system of communication between ships at sea, ships and shore and ships and distant points on land. Patent No. 465,971 was issued on this invention, the application having been filed May 23, 1885 - two years prior to the publication of the work of Hertz. Most significantly, this patent was eventually purchased from Edison by the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company.1887 Moved his center of experimentation to the laboratory at West Orange, New Jersey.1887-1890 Made major improvements on the brown wax and black wax cylinder phonograph. Obtained over eighty related patents, while establishing a very extensive commercial business in the manufacture and sale of phonographs and records, including associated dictating machines, "shaveable" records, and shaving machines.1891 Made a number of inventions associated with improving electric railways.1891 Invented and patented the motion picture camera. This mechanism, with its continuous tape-like film, made it possible to take, reproduce, and project motion pictures as we see and hear them today.1891-1900 Developed his great iron ore enterprise, in which he did some of his most brilliant engineering work. One of his most important inventions of this period was a giant roller machine for breaking large masses of rock and finely crushing them. Invented the Fluoroscope...realizing the necessity and value of a practical fluorescent screen for making examinations with X-rays, he made thousands of crystallizations of single and double chemical salts and finally discovered that crystals of Calcium Tungstate made in a particular way were highly fluorescent to the X-ray. Also made many several improvements on the X-ray tube.1900 - 1910 Invented and perfected the steel alkaline storage battery and made it a commercial success.1900 -1909 Established his once famous Portland Cement Co. and made many important inventions relating to the processes involved in the production of pre-cast buildings. In 1907, he introduced the first concrete mold for making one-piece houses called "single piece cast concrete homes." The unique type of kiln he developed for making these houses proved to be of great importance in the cement industry.1902-1903 Worked on improving the Edison Primary Battery. Continued to invent improvements to his phonograph - his favorite invention - and associated cylinders.1905 Introduced a revolutionary new type of dictating machine, which enabled the dictator to hear repetitions and make paper scale corrections.1907 Introduced the Universal Electric Motor which made it possible to operate dictating machines etc. on all lighting circuits.1910-1914 Worked on - and much improved - the disc phonograph, resulting in the production of records and playing instruments which reproduce vocal and instrumental music with overtones that had relatively "extraordinary fidelity and sweetness." Introduced the diamond point reproducer and the "indestructible" record, thereby commencing a new era in phonographs.1912 Having spent many previous years in its general development and perfection, finally introduced the Kinetophone or talking motion picture.1913 Introduced an important automatic correction device for the dictating machine.1914 Being the largest individual user in the United States of carbolic acid (for making phonograph records), he found himself at the onset of World War One in danger of being compelled to close his factory by reason of a related embargo placed on exporting said substance by England and Germany. The basic issue was that carbolic acid was in great demand for the purpose of making explosives. He now devised an alternative method for making carbolic acid synthetically, and finally put crews of men to work twenty four hours a day to build a related plant. By the eighteenth day, was producing carbolic acid, and within four weeks was turning out a ton of it per day.1914 On the night of December 9th his great plant at West Orange, N. J. was the scene of a spectacular fire. As soon as he saw the scope of this conflagration he enthusiastically sent word to several friends and members of his family, advising them to "Get down here quick.... you may never have another chance to see anything like this again!" Within hours after the fire had been extinguished, he had given orders for the complete rehabilitation of the plant. Early the next morning he arrived with a gang of men and began to supervise the task of clearing the debris. Hundreds more workers were added throughout the day, and the project continued around the clock for several months until an even larger and more efficient facility than the original had been completed.1914 Invented the Telescribe, combining the telephone and the dictating phonograph, thus permitting - for the first time - the recording of both sides of a telephone conversation.1915 Because military conflicts in Europe had created an enormous demand for phenols, and supplies were uncertain, he invented the first synthetic form of carbolic acid (C6H6O). Next, after evaluating all of the literature available on the erection and operation of benzol(C6H6) absorbing plants, he drew up plansfor benzine-making facility that could be readily installed. Although it had previously taken nine months to a year to install such a facility, his first such structure was put into operation in just forty five days. A larger plant designed for the Woodward Iron Company at Woodward, Ala., was completed in only 60 days. At about this time, he also built two other large benzol plants in Canada, each of were was put into operation in less than sixty days. All these plants became highly successful commercial operations, producing benzol, toluol, solvent naphtha, xylol, and naphthalene.1915 In the early months of this year, he conceived the idea of helping out the struggling textile and rubber industries of America by making myrbane, aniline oil, and aniline salt, which, are still important commercial substances, and which had been previously imported from Germany. Following his usual procedure, he first exhausted the literature on the subject, and then laid out the plant. By bringing great pressure to bear on his workers - and by working day and night himself - he constructed the plant in just forty five working days, commenced deliveries in June, and was soon turning out over 4,000 pounds of these products per day.1915 During World War One, the dyeing industry was suffering from a great scarcity of paraphenylenediamine, formerly imported from Germany. Since he was using the chemical in the manufacture of records for his Diamond Disc Phonograph and was no longer able to procure it, he experimented until he found a way to synthesize it. Much pressure was now brought to bear upon him to supply some of it to fur dyers and others. He equipped a separate plant for this purpose and ultimately manufactured over a ton a day.1915 The great scarcity of carbolic acid in America now brought innumerable requests to him to sell some of this product. His first such plant worked well, producing about 7,000 pounds a day. This, however, soon proved to be insufficient to supply the demand. He now projected and installed another plant with a capacity of about 7,000 pounds additional per day. As he devised improved processes for use in the latter plant there were a vast number of difficult problems to overcome. However, with his usual energy and dogged perseverance - involving many weeks of strenuous work - he finally prevailed.1916 Worked several months making important improvements in the manufacture of disc phonograph records and new methods and devices for recording. Worked on improved methods and processes producing his chemical products. Worked out processes for making a paramidaphenol base, hydrochloride benzidine base, and sulphate and constructed new plants for their manufacture. As President of the Naval Consulting Board, he did a great deal of work connected with national defense.1917-1918 Worked on special experiments relating to defense for the United States Government. See below.I Locating positions of guns by sound ranging.2 Detecting submarines by sound from moving vessels.3 Detecting, on moving vessels, the discharge of torpedoes by submarines.4 The faster turning of ships.5 Strategic plans for saving cargo boats from harm by enemy submarines.6 Development of collision mats for submarines and ships.7 Methods for guiding merchant ships out of mined harbors.8 Oleum cloud shells.9 Camouflaging ships.10 Blocking torpedoes with nets.11 Increased power for torpedoes.12 Coastal patrol by submarine buoys.13 Destroying periscopes with machine guns.14 Cartridges for taking soundings.15 Sailing lights for convoys.16 Smudging skyline.1 17 Underwater searchlights.18 High speed signaling with searchlights.19 Water penetrating projectiles.20 Airplane detection.21 Observing periscopes in silhouette.Edison was awarded 1,368 separate and distinct patents during his lifetime. He passed away at age 84 on October 18th, 1931 - on the anniversary date of his invention of the incandescent bulb.ADDENDUMAmong all of the above patents, only one is associated with the field called "pure science." Discovered in 1883 - the same year Edison constructed the world's first standardized central power plant - it eventually became known as the Edison effect. Although he never successfully applied this concept to any of his own inventions, it clearly anticipated the later development of vacuum tubes and transistors. Accordingly - it was of major significance in effecting the first wireless transmission, and the later development of the radio and television industry. Perhaps of even more significance, the principle is still of fundamental importance in today's silicon chip and computer industry.CONCLUSIONSo Mothers never let anyone ever put you’re blessed Children down … ever!Be positive with you’re Children … SpongeBob Square Pants, Bob The Builderand Dora the Explorer positive. Always!So many people hate Thomas Edison because they are ignorant and/or jealous of his truly phenomenal and magnificent achievements. A true genius from God Almighty.Randy