In 1861, 15-year-old Al had already been working for the Grand Trunk Railroad in Port Huron, Mich. for three years. He had been working for the railroad ever since his mother pulled him from school because his teachers thought he was retarded. Al's life took a dramatic turn when he saw a station master's young son wander onto the tracks in front of a freight train. He ran onto the tracks and pulled the child from harm's way.
As a reward, the grateful father offered to teach Al how to use railroad telegraphy. Al was intrigued by this technology and he sought to improve upon it. This simple act of recognizing a hero helped propel Thomas Alva Edison to go on and become America's greatest and most famous inventor.