Smiljan-born scientist Nikola Tesla revolutionised the world with his contributions to the domains of electricity and engineering. Born on the 10th of July, 1856, he graduated from the Higher Real Gymnasium in Karlovac. He slowly developed an intense inclination during electricity demonstrations while in physics class. His inclination in engineering turned to aspiration, and he went on to attend the Technical University at Graz, Austria, followed by the University of Prague in 1881.
Acknowledging his innate talent, the Parisian Continental Edison Company hired Tesla in 1882, following which Tesla moved to the United States to work at Edison Machine Works. Come 1885, Tesla founded his own lighting utility firm, where his arc light system was lauded for its innovative characteristics. However, his investors were unimpressed by his concepts, leading to them abandoning his company in 1886. But his ingenious mind remained undaunted. In 1887, Tesla invented the alternating current induction motor, for which the Westinghouse Company arranged licensing.
Despite his fame and struggle, he faces numerous other challenges over the course of his career. In 1895, his Manhattan laboratory was destroyed in a fire, costing him all his notes and prototypes. At Madison Square Garden in 1898, he demonstrated wireless control of a watercraft, where Tesla once drew so much electricity that he rendered an entire region powerless!
While Tesla never won a Nobel Laureate, he believed he was a true winner, leader, and revolutionary. His ingenuity and innovation altered the course of human history. His achievements include – but are not limited to – inventing the Tesla coil, the radio, the remote control, Tesla valve, neon lamp, radar, X-ray, and countless others. Without the work of Nikola Tesla, the world certainly wouldn’t be where it is today.
