Thomas Edison received a patent for the Mimeograph, one of the first low-cost duplicating machines that was commonly used to print small quantities in office work, classrooms, and even churches. It was essentially the predecessor to the modern photocopier and allowed for widespread distribution of information and communication. While primitive by today’s standards, it was advanced by 1870’s standards and a critical step towards the information revolution and a boon to journalism everywhere.
And while SI typically leaves its history lessons to the weekends, this is important enough to be noted on a week day.