Quick answerNikola Tesla (1856–1943) was a Serbian-American scientist. Nikola Tesla is best known for Alternating-current electricity system, Induction motor, Tesla coil, War of the currents and Wireless power experiments. Born in Smiljan, Austrian Empire (now Croatia). His alternating-current system powers the modern world, and the unit of magnetic flux is named after him.
Nikola Tesla (1856–1943) was a Serbian-American inventor whose alternating-current system powers the modern world. His induction motor and polyphase system of electricity beat Edison's direct current in the 'war of the currents', and the unit of magnetic flux density, the tesla, is named after him.
Key facts
| Born | 1856 in Smiljan, Austrian Empire (now Croatia) |
|---|---|
| Died | 1943 |
| Nationality | Serbian-American |
| Field | Science |
| Known for | Alternating-current electricity system, Induction motor, Tesla coil, War of the currents, Wireless power experiments |
Overview
Tesla was born in Smiljan, then in the Austrian Empire and now in Croatia, to Serbian parents, and studied engineering in Graz and Prague without taking a degree. He was born at midnight between 9 and 10 July 1856, during a lightning storm, according to family tradition. In 1882, walking in a Budapest park, he pictured a motor driven by a rotating magnetic field, the idea behind his alternating-current system. Two years later he emigrated to the United States and worked briefly for Thomas Edison, whose direct-current system he soon challenged.
His patents for a polyphase alternating-current system, licensed by George Westinghouse in 1888, made long-distance transmission of electricity practical, and alternating current lit the Chicago World's Fair of 1893 and powered Niagara Falls. In 1891 he invented the Tesla coil, and he later pursued grander, unfinished schemes for wireless power. His work on radio and remote control also led to later claims that he, not Marconi, deserved credit for radio, a dispute that continues. He died alone in a New York hotel in 1943, aged 86, largely forgotten in his lifetime.
Frequently asked questions
When was Nikola Tesla born?
Tesla was born on 10 July 1856 in Smiljan, then in the Austrian Empire and now in Croatia, to Serbian parents. Some sources give 9 July, because he was born at midnight between the two days, but 10 July is the date most modern biographies use.
What did Nikola Tesla invent?
Tesla's greatest work was the alternating-current system: the induction motor, the rotating magnetic field and the polyphase system that carries electricity over long distances. He also invented the Tesla coil in 1891, worked on radio and remote control, and held more than 100 American patents.
How did Nikola Tesla die?
Tesla died alone in his room at the Hotel New Yorker on 7 January 1943, aged 86, of coronary thrombosis, a blood clot in the heart. He had lived in New York hotels for years, and his ashes are now kept at the Nikola Tesla Museum in Belgrade, Serbia.
Where was Nikola Tesla born?
Tesla was born in Smiljan, a village in the Military Frontier of the Austrian Empire, now in Croatia, on 10 July 1856. He was born into an ethnic Serb family: his father was an Orthodox priest and his mother, though uneducated, was known for inventing household devices.
What is Nikola Tesla famous for?
Tesla is famous for the alternating-current electricity system that powers homes and cities around the world, and for winning the war of the currents against Edison's direct current. The Tesla coil, his work on wireless power and the unit of magnetic flux named after him keep his reputation alive.
Related people
- Thomas Edison — Worked for Edison in 1884, then became his rival in the war of the currents
Quotes by Nikola Tesla
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Keep exploring
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- United States — Nikola Tesla's country
Sources & last updated
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.