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.
- 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
Copyright © 1995-98 Lucid Interactive
Article written by Robin Chew - July 1996
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