Thomas Edison is credited as the inventor of the microphone. He was an American inventor and businessman who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Edison is best known for his development of the phonograph, the first device to record and play back sound, and the incandescent light bulb. He also developed the microphone, which allowed for the transmission of sound over a distance. Edison's invention of the microphone revolutionized the way sound was recorded and transmitted.