About
Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, best known for his development of alternating current electrical systems. He also made extraordinary contributions to the fields of electromagnetism and wireless radio communications. He was a child prodigy and possessed an eidetic memory with a futuristic vision for the mankind which is evident from most of his discoveries and researches. He was a trained electrical and mechanical engineer whose discoveries and inventions included the modern electric motor, wireless transmission of energy, basic laser and radar technology, the first neon and fluorescent illumination and the Tesla coil (widely used in radio, television sets, and other electronic equipment).Despite being a great inventor, his life was mostly shadowed by poverty because he was a terrible businessman. He was impractical with his money and had nobody to pass on his legacy to since he never got involved in a relationship with anyone. Although he was regarded as a generous and polite person by his friends, he had very limited social interaction with them because of his firm daily routine. He was a loner all his life and died penniless without the accolades that he would ultimately earn after his death. He was undoubtedly one of the most influential inventors of the 20th century whose discoveries in the field of electricity were way ahead of his time and continue to influence technology even today. Tesla coil (widely used in radio, television sets, and other electronic equipment).
Despite being a great inventor, his life was mostly shadowed by poverty because he was a terrible businessman. He was impractical with his money and had nobody to pass on his legacy to since he never got involved in a relationship with anyone. Although he was regarded as a generous and polite person by his friends, he had very limited social interaction with them because of his firm daily routine. He was a loner all his life and died penniless without the accolades that he would ultimately earn after his death. He was undoubtedly one of the most influential inventors of the 20th century whose discoveries in the field of electricity were way ahead of his time and continue to influence technology even today.
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Career
- In 1881, he worked as a draftsman in the Central Telegraph Office in Budapest. Later he became the chief electrician in the Budapest Telephone Exchange and made significant improvements to the Central Station equipment.
- In 1882, he was employed by the Continental Edison Company in France as a designer of electrical equipment. After two years, he was shifted to New York to work for Thomas Edison, helping him to redesign the direct current generators.
- His idea of improving Edison’s inefficient motors and generators through the polyphase alternating current system prompted Edison to promise him a prize money of fifty thousand dollars if he did it successfully. He completed his task and demanded the prize money to which Edison replied that his challenge was just a form of American humor. Tesla immediately resigned from his job.
- In 1888, he was hired by the industrialist George Westinghouse, who was impressed by his idea for the polyphase system, to develop the alternating current electric supply system. Ultimately, he won the war of currents with Edison’s DC system by demonstrating the marvels of electric appliances via alternating current.
- Soon he established his own laboratory and invested his time and energy on numerous experiments including the ‘Tesla Coil’, carbon button lamp, on the power of electrical resonance, and on various types of lighting.
- In 1899, he moved to Colorado Springs where he established his laboratory for creating a wireless global energy transmission system. He experimented on man-made lightning for sharing information and providing free electricity throughout the world wirelessly.
- In 1900, he began his work on establishing the trans-Atlantic wireless telecommunications facility in Wardenclyffe, near Shoreham, Long Island. He performed many experiments in the facility but due to shortage of funds, he was forced to sell it around the time of World War I.
- Later in life, he announced a method of transmitting mechanical energy with minimal loss over any terrestrial distance and a method of accurately determining the location of underground mineral deposits.
Information taken from The Famous People, for more information click below.