Nikola Tesla dedicated his life to improving not just the scientific field of physics, but also how people lived their lives. Through his discoveries in commercial electricity, Tesla changed the world in the 20th century and molded the way technology was used. His contributions to electricity, most notably the alternative-current (AC) electrical system, are still widely-used today in contemporary society. Most people today have heard the Tesla name through the renowned Tesla motors, but few understand the impact that Nikola Tesla left in modern science and technology. Tesla was born on July 10, 1856 in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, what is now Smiljan, Croatia, to an Orthodox priest and a mother who invented home appliances. In his early …show more content…
While on a walk with a college friend one evening in 1882, Tesla had a sudden moment of realization that he had long been searching for that would make the development of an AC motor possible, which would later become one of the greatest discoveries in history. In this moment, he realized using a rotating magnetic field would allow the AC motor to run feasibly. Although a remarkable student, Tesla dropped-out of college to move to Paris knowing he could better apply himself and his ideas on electricity in a position at the Continental Edison Company. He only held this position for two years and left Paris to move to the United States seeking to work alongside Thomas …show more content…
Westinghouse hired Tesla and provided him with more funding that he needed to facilitate other ideas. At the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago, Tesla helped Westinghouse exhibit the remarkable properties of AC to a massive audience. Using AC, Tesla illuminated an extraordinary number of light bulbs which amazed the crowd. The number of lightbulbs lit up that night were more than could be found in the whole city of