Electricity, as we know it today, is too often credited to Michael Faraday or Benjamin Franklin; However, the fact remains that this is due to various contributions by two scientists, including Nikola Tesla.
Tesla was an engineer, futurist and inventor most popular for his contribution and assists in favor of alternating current (AC). He invented parts and discovered a mechanism for the AC power system. He won several prizes at the polytechnic school and after for his inventions.
Nikola has a few creations to his credit, including the AC induction motor, among others. His efforts in the field of electrical engineering have attracted several awards in his honor. Let’s take a look at the biography, life achievements and creations of the inventor.
Biography of Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla was born on July 10, 1856 in Croatia, formerly known as the Austrian Empire. He was born into a house of priests – his father, Milutin Tesla, was a priest of the Eastern Orthodox Church. His mother, Đuka Mandic, was good at making craft tools for the home, meditating on Serbian epic poems, and making mechanical devices. His maternal grandfather was also a priest in an Orthodox church. Tesla is of Serbian descent and his ancestors were from western Serbia, specifically Montenegro.
Đuka was never formally educated, but she mentored her son, Nikola Tesla, in the field of mechanics. He would later attribute his creative abilities and memory to his mother’s genetics. He was born into a family of seven and is the fourth of five children. His other siblings are Milka, Angelina, Marica and Dane. His older brother, Dane, died in a horse racing accident when Nikola was five years old.
Nikola began his education in 1861 when he attended primary school in Smiljan where he studied arithmetic, religion and German. His parents then moved to Gospić, Lika still in Croatia where he completed his college. He enrolled in Higher Real Gymnasium, Karlovac for his secondary education.
In this school he learned advancedengineering and physics. He was also introduced to demonstrations of electricity which fascinated him greatly. He became more and more interested in this “mysterious phenomenon” thanks to his teachers. He was a very smart student who was able to do the integral calculation in his head. This was rarely seen at this time because this type of calculation was very difficult. His intelligence and his zeal for his studies allowed him to follow a four-year course in three years and thus obtain his diploma in 1873.
A year later, Nikola Tesla escaped conscription into the Austrian army as he fled to Tomingaj. At that time, he was reading books and developing mentally. He eventually attended the Austrian Polytechnic in Graz, Austria. In first year, he was a very impressive student who never missed a lecture and passed all his exams. His excellence in the field of his studies reached the dean of his faculty who once wrote to Nikola’s father telling him how brilliant his son was.
His sophomore year saw him have several confrontations with his professors at École Polytechnique. He would oppose certain already established systems, deeming certain parts useless. Nikola was a scholarship holder of this polytechnic school but lost this privilege in the second year. This caused him to give in to gambling and spend all his money. He tried formal education again but failed, so he turned to practical experience instead.
Inventions
Nikola Tesla worked in several organizationswhere he started his inventions. He first worked for the Budapest Telephone Exchange at the Central Telegraph Office as a draftsman before being assigned to the Central Station as Chief Electrician. He made several improvements to his service and is said to have invented the telephone repeater, although this invention was never patented.
Nikola Tesla’s next job was at the Continental Edison Company, Paris in 1882. In this company he gained great experience in mechanical engineering and began to build and design improved versions of motors and dynamos. He then moved to the United States in the following years and became a naturalized citizen. There he continued to work for Edison, but then left the country to start his own business in New York. With the help of partners, he created more companies and laboratories. These companies used to develop mechanical and electrical devices.
Nikola’s life consisted of many experiments and improvements on already established systems, especially in the field of electricity. He also made remarkable discoveries in the field of wireless communications in the early 1900s. His experiments ended when he spent all his funds on his projects. Furthermore, his works became obsolete upon his death, and his contributions were not remembered until 1960. In 1990, his findings sparked renewed interest.
As expected, the legendary inventor was honored in many ways, among them such awards as the Order of St. Sava, Class II, the Government of Serbia (1892), the Elliott Cresson Medal (1894), the Order of Prince Danilo I (1895), the Edison Medal (1916)) and many more.
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How did he die?
The famous inventor, Nikola Tesla, died of neglected injuries, in particular coronary thrombosis. In 1937, at the age of 81, Nikola was injured in a taxi accident on his way to New York Cathedral. The accident resulted in serious back injuries and three broken ribs. Nikola refused to see the doctor and managed the situation for five years. In 1942, he was found dead in his hotel room by a maid