England was the leading European colonial power and had already established much of its overseas empire by the beginning of the 19th century. France was second, with its holdings in Southeast Asia and in North Africa, both. of these being established during the 19th century.
Thomas Edison married Mary Stilwell on December 25, 1871 (he was 24, she was 16).   She died on August 9, 1884.   He was married a second time, on February 24, 1886, at â¦the age of 39. His second wife's name was Mina Miller.
The first successful test was on October 22, 1879; it lasted 40 hours. Edison continued to improve this design and by November 4, 1879, filed for U.S. patent 223,898 (granted on January 27, 1880) for an electric lamp using a carbon filament or strip coiled and connected to platina contact wires.