Who was Nikola Tesla

ByAgkidzone Staff

Updated: Nov 18, 2024

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Nikola Tesla, a brilliant Serbian-American engineer and physicist, was born in 1856 in Smiljan, Croatia (then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire) and passed away in 1943. Tesla's father was a Serbian Orthodox priest, and his mother managed the family farm. At just seven years old, Tesla lost his brother Daniel in a tragic accident, an event that marked the beginning of his mental health struggles. Tesla’s groundbreaking research and inventions left an incredible impact on modern technology, making him a fascinating figure to this day.

AC Power and Rivalry with Edison

Tesla’s work on electrical power led to numerous breakthroughs. He invented the first AC (alternating current) induction motor and helped develop the early AC power systems we use today. Tesla discovered the rotating magnetic field, which is at the heart of AC machinery. But his journey wasn't easy. Thomas Edison, who was invested in DC (direct current) power, opposed Tesla’s AC ideas fiercely. Ultimately, Edison's DC approach fell short, while Tesla’s AC system triumphed.

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Early Work with Edison

Tesla's first experience with Edison began in Europe when he worked for the Edison Company in France. Despite his efforts on electrical repairs in Strassburg, Tesla wasn’t compensated. Frustrated, he moved to the U.S. to work directly under Thomas Edison. Edison promised Tesla $50,000 for improving his DC motors but refused to pay once the work was done. Feeling betrayed, Tesla quit and was left digging ditches for the next two years.

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Partnership with Westinghouse

Tesla eventually found work at Westinghouse Electric in Pittsburgh, where he introduced his idea for a polyphase AC system that could transmit power over long distances. George Westinghouse bought the patents and built power plants using Tesla's technology. Tesla’s dream of harnessing Niagara Falls for energy was realized when Westinghouse set up a hydroelectric plant there using his system.

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Founding the Tesla Electric Company

In 1895, Tesla started the Tesla Electric Company in New York with the help of Edward Dean Adams. The company managed Tesla’s patents for many years. Sadly, Tesla's lab on South Fifth Avenue was destroyed by fire, setting back his work and destroying valuable research and models. Despite this setback, he continued his work in various New York labs and created new inventions, including the famous Tesla coil.

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Pioneering Wireless Transmission

Tesla envisioned wireless transmission and proposed the idea to J.P. Morgan, securing initial funding. With the help of architect Stanford White, Tesla started building a tower in Wardenclyffe, Long Island, as the first wireless transmission station. Unfortunately, Tesla ran out of funds, and the unfinished Tesla Tower was eventually demolished. Today, the site is a historic landmark.

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X-Ray Discoveries

In 1894, Tesla began researching X-rays after noticing damage to photographic film in his lab. He described the energy as radiant and invisible. Using cold cathode discharge tubes, he built on the work of Wilhelm Röntgen, who captured the first X-ray image. Tesla's vacuum tube experiments, powered by his Tesla coil, led to what we now call braking radiation. His methods for creating X-rays laid the groundwork for future advancements.

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Celebrated Birthdays

When Tesla turned 75, writer Kenneth Swezey organized a party in his honor. Even Albert Einstein sent him a congratulatory letter, and Tesla appeared on the cover of Time magazine with the headline "All the world's his power house." Tesla enjoyed the event so much that it became an annual tradition. During these gatherings, he shared bold claims about new inventions, including a motor powered by cosmic rays and a 'death ray' meant as a defensive weapon. Surprisingly, sketches of this 'death ray' were discovered after his death.

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Tesla's Eccentric Habits

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His Final Years

In his later years, Tesla lived in various hotels, supported financially by Westinghouse. He spent a lot of time feeding pigeons and had a special bond with a white dove he claimed visited him before her death. He believed that when she died in his arms, his life’s purpose was fulfilled.

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Myths and Mysterious Inventions

Many stories about Tesla’s incredible inventions emerged after his death. A biography by author John J. O'Neill fueled tales of Tesla's alleged earthquake machine—a vibrating device that could reportedly shake buildings. Though he did create man-made lightning at his Colorado Springs lab, stories of a portable "earthquake" device were never verified. Tesla did describe a mechanical oscillator, but no real evidence of such a device exists. Some of Tesla’s later notes suggested grand ideas, but many were more fantasy than reality.

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