Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla (10 July 1856 – 7 January 1943) was a Serbian-American inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, and futurist best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system. Born in Smiljan, in the Austrian Empire (present-day Croatia), Tesla received an advanced education in engineering and physics in the 1870s and gained practical experience in the early 1880s working in telephony and at Continental Edison in the new electric power industry.
Early Life[edit | edit source]
Tesla was born to a family of Serbian origin. His father, Milutin Tesla, was a priest of the Serbian Orthodox Church and a writer, and his mother, Đuka Tesla (née Mandić), had a talent for making home craft tools and mechanical appliances. Tesla credited his eidetic memory and creative abilities to his mother's genetics and influence. In 1875, Tesla enrolled at Austrian Polytechnic in Graz, Austria, on a Military Frontier scholarship. In his second year, he lost his scholarship and became addicted to gambling, eventually overcoming the habit after his family intervened.
Career[edit | edit source]
After leaving school, Tesla worked in the telephony and electrical fields before moving to the United States in 1884 to work for Thomas Edison in New York City. Tesla and Edison had a famous rivalry, often called the "War of Currents," as Tesla's AC system competed with Edison's direct current (DC) system. Tesla left Edison's company and, after a series of unsuccessful employment stints, partnered with George Westinghouse in 1888. Westinghouse and Tesla's collaboration led to the adoption of the AC system for electric power transmission in the United States.
Tesla conducted a range of experiments with mechanical oscillators/generators, electrical discharge tubes, and early X-ray imaging. He also built a wireless-controlled boat, one of the first ever exhibited. Tesla became well-known as an inventor and would go on to earn more than 300 patents worldwide for his inventions. Some of Tesla's theoretical work formed the basis of modern wireless communication and radio.
Later Years and Death[edit | edit source]
Tesla spent his later years working on potentially revolutionary technologies, including a proposed wireless power transmission system. He lived in New York City, where he conducted many of his experiments. Despite his numerous contributions to science and technology, Tesla was plagued by financial difficulties and died impoverished at the age of 86 in New York City.
Legacy[edit | edit source]
Tesla's work laid the foundation for modern electrical engineering and many of his discoveries were of monumental importance. In 1960, the General Conference on Weights and Measures named the standard unit of magnetic flux density the "Tesla" in his honor. Tesla's life and work have since garnered a cult following and have significantly influenced popular culture, science, and engineering.
See Also[edit | edit source]
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