The Patron Saint of Modern Electricity
Nikola Tesla was an inventor, entrepreneur, and a revolutionary thinker. Contributing many discoveries to the field of science, he is best known for his works in electricity. During his childhood, he was constantly questioning and discovering things for himself. He worked with great inventors such as Thomas Edison, and was well respected in his field. Nikola Tesla was born on July 10, 1856 in Smiljan Croatia. Growing up in the mountainous region of Lika in Croatia, his family was under the rule of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His father was an Orthodox priest, and his mother was an inventor (History). Excelling in his studies as a child, Nikola would read any books he could get his hands on. When in school, he could perform advanced calculation in his head, leading his teachers to assume he was cheating. Unlike most families of that time period, both Nikola’s parents were well educated, providing him
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After a speech at the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, George Westington approached Tesla and offered him a job. Westington was Edison’s major competitor in the “Battle of the Currents” (History). Tesla settled into his new job and never looked for another one again. Tesla created incredible inventions and produced astounding scientific breakthroughs. While working under Westington, he was given his own lab and in return, licenced his patents to Westington (History). Tesla invented electric oscillators, meters, improved lights and his famous Tesla coil. He demonstrated an electrical chair, a short range two-way radio and experimented with X-rays. Tesla and Westington joined with General Electric to install the first modern power station, located at Niagara Falls (History). Tesla died on January 7, 1943 in New York. The U.S. Supreme Court belatedly acknowledged Telas breakthroughs in radio communications