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Thomas Edison And Henry Ford, BFFs

Not only did these two brilliant inventors collaborate on many projects together, but they were also the best of friends. Thomas and Henry were inseparable and would be definitely considered BFFs by today's standards. Take a trip back in time and check out this duos' bromance below.

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How The Magic Happened

Beth Scupham / CC BY http://2.0 / Flickr: bethscupham

In 1896, Henry Ford attended a convention in Manhattan Beach, New York, where the honorary guest of honor was no other than the renowned Thomas Edison. During the night, a friend pointed out Ford to Edison telling him, "There's a young fellow who has made a gas car." The defining moment of the evening came after Edison asked young Ford poignant questions and showed his satisfaction by banging his fist down on the table. "Young man," he said, "that's the thing! You have it! Your car is self contained and carries its own power plant."

The Friendship

Wystan / CC BY http://2.0 / Flickr: 70251312@N00

Ford never forgot what Edison had told him. And after their initial meeting, they were basically inseparable. When Ford became a wealthy industrialist, he collaborated with Edison on technical and scientific projects. He even convinced Edison to devote significant research to finding a substitute for rubber.

They Knew What YOLO Meant

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Starting in 1915, Edison, Firestone, Ford and Thomas Burroughs before his death in 1921, took a road trip each summer in motor camping caravans. On these trips, Ford and Edison would often build dams on small streams and examine old mills for a calculation of the power output.

Tom And Henry's "Friendship Gate"

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Ford was a regular visitor of the Edisons. And in 1916, when the seven-bedroom home next door was up for sale, Ford pounced. A wooden fence separated the two estates, but the gate between the two always remained open and became known as the "friendship gate."

Don't Forget The Ladies

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On camping trips with the Vagabonds, Ford and Edison would often bring their wives along.

The True Meaning Of BFF

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When Edison's doctors ordered him into a wheelchair in the last years of his life, Ford bought one too, so they could race around the grounds together.