Nikola Tesla
Serbian/American Inventor
1856 - 1943
Nikola Tesla was born precisely at midnight on
July 9, 1856, in the village of Smiljan, in the province
of Lika in Croatia, Yugoslavia. Tesla discovered the
principle of the rotating magnetic field which is the
basis of most alternating-current technology, and is
regarded as the genius who ushered in the age of
electrical power.
Tesla had an intuitive way of sensing scientific
secrets, and using his inventive talents to prove and
apply his hypotheses. After seeing the Gramme dynamo
(which, operated in one direction is a generator, and
when reversed, is an electric motor), Tesla visualized a
rotating magnetic field, and then developed plans for an
induction motor applying the concept. The induction motor
would become the first step toward the successful use of
alternating-current.
Tesla immigrated to America in 1884, arriving in New
York City with four cents in his pocket. He found
employment with Thomas Edison in New Jersey, but
differences in style between the two men soon lead to
their separation. In 1885, George Westinghouse, founder
of the Westinghouse Electric Company, bought patent
rights to Tesla's system of alternating-current. The
advantages of alternating-current over Edison's system of
direct-current became apparent when Westinghouse
successfully used Tesla's system to light the World
Columbian Exposition at Chicago in 1893.
Tesla established a laboratory in New York City in
1887. His experiments ranged from an exploration of
electrical resonance to studies of various lighting
systems. To counter fears of alternating-current, Tesla
gave exhibitions in his laboratory in which he lighted
lamps without wires by allowing electricity to flow
through his body.
When Tesla became a United States citizen in 1891, he
was at the peak of his creative powers. He developed in
rapid succession the induction motor, new types of
generators and transformers, a system of
alternating-current power transmission, fluorescent
lights, and a new type of steam turbine. He also became
intrigued with wireless transmission of power.
In 1900, Tesla began construction on Long Island of a
wireless broadcasting tower. The project was funded with
$150,000 capital from financier J. Pierpont Morgan. The
project was abandoned when Morgan withdrew his financial
support. Tesla's work shifted to turbines and other
projects, but his ideas remained on the drawing board due
to a lack of funds. Tesla's notebooks are still examined
by engineers in search of unexploited ideas.
Tesla allowed himself few close friends, one of which
was the writer Mark Twain, however, when he died in New
York City on January 7, 1943, hundreds of admirers
attended his funeral services, mourning the loss of a
great genius. At the time of his death Tesla held over
700 patents.
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- Tesla: Man Out of Time
- Author: Margaret Cheney
Description:
Nikola Tesla was flamboyant, eccentric, almost
supernaturally gifted. Had he been born today he
would still be ahead of his time. This
fascinating biography has been acclaimed by
"American Scientist" magazine as
"excellent ... a significant contribution to
recent history of science."
Publisher: Laureleaf - Publish Date:
December 1993
Dimensions (in inches): 6.72 x 4.15 x .95
- ISBN: 044039077X - Price: US$6.29
- Wizard: The Life and Times of
Nikola Tesla: Biography of a Genius
Author: Marc J. SeiferDescription:
Nikola Tesla's amazingly creative intellect gave
us alternating current, fluorescent lighting,
wireless communication, cheap electrical power,
and the rudiments of computer science and
robotics. Seifer does an admirable job of
explaining Tesla's technical feats and analyzing
his psychological idiosyncrasies. This
meticulously researched biography deserves
attention from all who would understand the
triumph and tragedy Nikola Tesla's life.
Publisher: Birch Lane Press - Publish
Date: November 1, 1996
Dimensions (in inches): 9.29 x 6.31 x 1.44
- ISBN: 1559723297 - Price:
US$28.80
- Tesla: A Novel - Author:
Tad Wise
Description: A vibrant and
compelling historical novel about the bizarre and
tragic life of one of the great scientific minds
of all time. 381 pages
Publisher: Turner Publishing - Publish
Date: May 1, 1994
Dimensions (in inches): 9.36 x 6.45 x 1.29
- ISBN: 1878685368 - Price:
US$19.76
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Article written by Robin Chew - July 1996
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