Early Interests and Education

Even as a child in Smiljan, Tesla was fascinated by electricity and lightning. One day, while petting the cat, he felt a slight electric shock. His father explained that it was the same electricity as lightning. “Then who is petting the Earth causing it to release lightning?” Tesla replied. That moment profoundly affected Tesla and sparked his interest in electricity.

He attended the first grade of primary school in his hometown, Smiljan. He completed the remaining three grades of primary school and the three-year Lower Real Gymnasium in Gospić. While staying in Gospić, Nikola Tesla first attracted attention during a firefighting drill which was attended by many people. During the drill, the firefighters failed to pump water from the Lika River. Experts tried to figure out why the pump was not working, but to no avail. Then, the seven-year-old Tesla instinctively solved the problem by entering the river and unclogging the other end of the hose.

He completed three more classes of Velika Realka (High School) in Rakovac. He graduated at the age of 17. In 1873, after graduation, he returned to his family home and fell ill with cholera on the very first day. Tesla’s father, in a moment of despair, despite his undisguised desire for Tesla to become a priest, made a promise to his son that he would send him to the best engineering school if he recovered from the disease, which he did.

He started studying electrical engineering in 1875 and enrolled in the Polytechnic School in Graz. After his requests for scholarships to continue his education were denied, he left Graz in December 1878 and went to Marburg (today’s Maribor) where he found employment.

Following his father’s death in January 1880, he went to Prague to complete his studies according to his father’s wishes. However, due to financial difficulties, he left school the following year. Although he left formal education relatively early, his passion for electrical engineering and ingenuity in experimental work led him to numerous innovations and revolutionary achievements in the field of electrical energy and technology.

Employments

In 1881, Nikola Tesla moved to Budapest and was employed as a chief telephone technician in a telegraph company, where he invented the first loudspeaker or amplifier for phones. During a walk in Budapest Park, inspired by the recitation of Goethe’s Faust, Tesla got the idea for an alternating current motor without a commutator, thanks to the rotating magnetic field. He developed sketches and ideas that he would later patent in America.

In mid-1882 he went to Paris, to the Continental Edison Company, where he worked as an engineer. While repairing Edison’s machines, Tesla solidified his already established reputation as an excellent engineer capable of tackling the toughest problems. After the failure of Edison’s company with the commissioning of the electric direct current system in 1883 in today’s Strasbourg, Tesla was entrusted with the task of putting everything in order. According to Tesla’s diary preserved from Strasbourg, he worked on the repair of the system from October 14, 1883 to February 24, 1884. There he signed his first business contract regarding the construction of the first induction motor which used the principle of the rotating magnetic field of alternating currents. That was the precursor of his later work on polyphase systems and devices with a rotating magnetic field, for which he was granted a patent in 1888.

America

Tesla arrived in America on June 6, 1884 and went to New York with a letter of recommendation from his previous boss, Charles Batchelor. In the recommendation, Charles wrote to Edison: “I know two great men, you are one of them. The other is this young man!” As a result, Tesla got a job at Edison’s company Edison Machine Works, where he quickly advanced and successfully solved the most complicated problems. However, due to disagreements over the promised compensation for his innovations, Tesla left his job with Edison. Namely, Edison refused to pay him the promised $50,000, for the redesign of the direct current generator, calling it a joke, and instead offering him only a minimal salary increase. That caused Tesla to quit his job and to found his own company. 

Edison promoted direct current as a safer option, while Tesla developed a more efficient alternating current system. Edison sought to discredit Tesla’s technology, while Tesla demonstrated the safety of alternating current.

In 1886 Tesla founded his company in New York called “Tesla Electric Light Manufacturing”, where he started the production of the first alternating polyphase current motors and generators.

In the period from 1887 to 1890, Tesla filed his most famous patents in the field of polyphase alternating currents, including generators and motors. On May 16, 1888 he publicly presented his inventions to the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE, now IEEE) in the first lecture entitled “A New System of Alternating Current Motors and Transformers”. During this lecture, Tesla explained in detail the benefits and working principle of alternating currents, attracting the attention of many investors and experts, including George Westinghouse. This event was crucial for the further development and commercialization of his inventions.

After that, Westinghouse Electric Corporation purchased the first seven Tesla patents in the field of polyphase currents. With engineers from Westinghouse, Tesla worked on the practical implementation of his patents in Pittsburgh (1888-1889). During this period, preparations were made for the implementation of the first hydroelectric power plant at Niagara Falls, known as the Niagara Falls Power Company, which used the power of the waterfall to generate electricity. Nikola Tesla and Westinghouse played key roles in this project.

Westinghouse Electric Cooperation secured a contract to build a generator system using Tesla’s alternating current patents. Due to this collaboration, the electricity produced at Niagara Falls was efficiently transmitted over long distances. The construction of the first large hydropower plant began at the beginning of 1890.

On July 30, 1891, at the age of 35, Nikola Tesla was granted United States citizenship. Obtaining US citizenship strengthened Tesla’s position in the scientific community and allowed him greater access to resources and support for his scientific and engineering projects, as well as freedom in further creative work. Then he started working in his New York laboratory where he first showed the world a fluorescent light bulb that glowed wirelessly, demonstrating the idea of wireless transmission. This marked the beginning of his brightest decade, during which he made many of his most important discoveries and patents. In the period from 1892 to 1894, he served as vice president of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers.

Trip to Europe, Mother’s Death, Arrival in Belgrade

At the invitation of the Royal Institute of London and the French Society of Physics, he travelled to Europe in 1892, where he first gave a lecture in London at the British Institute of Electrical Engineers titled “Experiments with Alternating Currents of High Potential and High Frequency”. After the lectures in Paris and London, which were a huge success and were met with great interest from the European public, as covered by the press at the time, Tesla went to Lika to visit his mother and sisters. Unfortunately, soon after his arrival, his mother passed away. Overwhelmed with grief, Tesla went to Budapest, where on May 15 he received an invitation from the Belgrade Municipality and the Engineering Association to visit Belgrade. He accepted that invitation and on June 1, 1892, Nikola Tesla came to visit Belgrade.

The visit to Belgrade was significant to Tesla, since he was greeted with great respect and appreciation. During his audience with King Aleksandar Obrenović, Tesla was awarded the Order of Saint Sava. While staying in Belgrade, he also gave a speech in front of the students and professors of the Great School, the predecessor of today’s University of Belgrade. Tesla was impressed by the warm reception and showed great gratitude to the people of Serbia.

The Golden Years

From 1893 to 1895, Tesla explored high-frequency alternating currents. He managed to produce an alternating current with a voltage of one million volts using the Tesla coil, studied the surface effect of high frequencies in conductive materials, worked on the synchronization of electrical circuits and resonators, developed a gas-discharged lamp that glowed without the use of wires, was engaged in the wireless transmission of electricity and the first transmission of radio waves. In 1893, Tesla’s four resonant circuit system demonstrated that the antenna, grounding and resonance are three elements that every transmitter and receiver for wireless telegraphy must have, paving the way for the discovery of modern radio. He conducted a public experiment with a radio-controlled (teleoperated) boat in New York. These patents posthumously earned him a priority in the discovery of radio before the US Supreme Court.

In early 1895, he continued his high-frequency research by studying the effects of currents on diluted gases, using Leonard tubes and investigating the work of Wilhelm Röntgen and his discovery of X-rays. He was one of the first scientists on the American continent to obtain X-rays of the hand, skull, knee and elbow. He was the first researcher to point out the very harmful effect of X-rays on the body when exposed to radiation for extended periods of time. He sent the photo to Wilhelm Röntgen, but did not publicly disclose his work and findings. During a fire in a Houston laboratory in 1895, this part of the research was lost.

Chicago World’s Fair

The 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, also known as the Colombian Exposition, was a significant international event that marked the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in America. Held from May 1 to October 30, 1893, it showcased numerous innovations and achievements from around the world. One of the key events in this exhibition was the presentation of electricity, especially the alternating current system by Tesla and Westinghouse. This was an important moment due to the controversy between advocates of alternating current, such as Tesla and Westinghouse, and Edison-led advocates of direct current.

Using Tesla’s alternating current patents, Westinghouse Electric Company illuminated the entire exhibition space, marking the first time in history that a major event was fully illuminated by alternating current. This made a huge impression on visitors and demonstrated the efficiency and safety of the alternating current system. Tesla’s fluorescent bulbs and single-terminal bulbs were also shown at the exhibition. Tesla also demonstrated a model of the rotating magnetic field and induction motor, including the spinning of the copper egg, known as Egg of Columbus, which illustrated his inventiveness. He also introduced the Tesla Coil, a device that produces high-frequency current. This demonstration showed the potential of wireless power transmission and sparked a great deal of interest among visitors.

The 1893 Chicago World’s Fair was a turning point in the history of technology and industry, especially in the field of electricity. It enabled Tesla and Westinghouse to demonstrate the superiority of alternating current and its wide application in the electrification of cities and towns around the world.

The Chicago World’s Fair preceded the opening of the Niagara Falls Hydroelectric Plant in 1895, which used alternating current to generate and transmit electricity over long distances. Electricity was successfully transferred to Buffalo, a city about 40 kilometers away from the hydroelectric power plant, which was a major technical feat at the time. This marked a key moment when alternating current around the world became the dominant electrification system.

Cooperation between Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse

Cooperation between Tesla and Westinghouse was vital in establishing alternating current as the standard for electrification. Their work laid the foundations for a modern electric power system, which enabled the efficient transmission of electricity over long distances.

This cooperation demonstrated how innovative ideas combined with business visionary could overcome technical and commercial challenges, creating a lasting impact on global society.

However, the decade-long cooperation between Tesla and Westinghouse was ended by the financial problems of Westinghouse Electric Company in the late 19th century. In 1897, Tesla generously agreed to waive his royalties to help the company avoid bankruptcy. After that their formal cooperation ceased, but they both continued their work in different areas. Tesla focused on researching wireless power transmission and other innovations, while Westinghouse continued to develop and expand the application of alternating current.

Discovery of Radio and Wireless Transmission

At the age of 41, Tesla filed his first patent no. 645.576 related to radio. The patent, titled “System of Transmitting of Electrical Energy”, described a method of transmitting information via radio waves. A year later, Tesla presented the US Army with a model of a radio-controlled boat, believing that the army could be interested in radio-controlled torpedoes, which would improve military tactics and operations. On that occasion, he talked about the development of the “art of telematics”, a form of robotics. The radio-controlled boat, which he called the “teleautomaton”, was publicly presented in 1898 at an exhibition in Madison Square Garden, attracting the attention of the public and military experts.

On that occasion, a group of visitors, who witnessed the demonstration, stated that boat operations were like magic, telepathy or that the boat was being controlled by a trained monkey hidden inside. Tesla tried to sell his idea to the US Army, as a type of radio-controlled torpedo, but there was slight interest. Wireless radio control remained a novelty until World War II, when many countries began to use it in their military programs.

Colorado Springs and Long Island

Drawn by the potential for experimenting with wireless power transmission and atmospheric electricity, Tesla decided to move and continue his research in Colorado Springs in 1899. He chose this location due to its high altitude, dry climate, and distance from densely populated areas. It was an area with the highest number of electrical discharges, miraculous lightning that branched into huge light trees. There he built a laboratory equipped with a large Tesla coil and other devices necessary for his research. The laboratory was built with strong timber according to Tesla’s instructions in order to withstand the fierce storms that occurred every day in the area. Upon his arrival, he announced to reporters that he intended to conduct a wireless telegraphy experiment between Colorado and Paris, but unfortunately this never happened. Tesla proved in his laboratory that the Earth is a conductor and by discharging millions of volts, he produced artificial lightning bolts tens of meters long. Tesla believed he could transmit electricity wirelessly, using the Earth as a conductor.

In one experiment, he managed to light the light bulbs a few kilometers away from the laboratory without the use of wires, which was a significant step towards his goal of wireless power transmission. Tesla discovered stationary waves in the Earth’s ionosphere, which further supported his theory about the possibility of wireless transmission of power over long distances.

These discoveries were a precursor to much later research in the field of radio communication and atmospheric physics.

On January 7, 1900, he left Colorado Springs, and the lab was dismantled and sold to pay off his debts.

The construction of the World Radio Station – “Wardenclyffe Tower” began in 1901 on Long Island. This project, based on research conducted in Colorado Springs, aimed to achieve global wireless power transmission and communication. 

In March 1901, Tesla received $150,000 in financial support from J. P. Morgan in exchange for a 51% share of any generated wireless patent. By July 1901, Tesla was developing plans to build a stronger transmitter to surpass Marconi’s radio system, which he considered a copy of his work. He tried to persuade J.P. Morgan to invest more money in building a larger system, but Morgan refused further funding. In December 1901, Marconi managed to achieve transatlantic signal transmission and thereby defeated Tesla in the race for the first such transmission.

A month after Marconi’s success, J.P. Morgan withdrew from the project, although Tesla spent the next five years trying to convince him by presenting him new ideas for transmitting messages and energy by controlling “vibrations through the globe”. Work on the project lasted until 1902, when the tower was raised to a height of 57 meters. However, due to the lack of funds, the Wardenclyffe Tower project was suspended in 1905, and financial problems and other events led to foreclosure, resulting in Tesla losing ownership in 1915. During World War I, the tower was dismantled for security reasons to prevent it to from being misused for espionage purposes.

In 1909 Guglielmo Marconi received the Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributions to the development of wireless telegraphy, including the use of radio waves for long-distance communication.

In 1915, Tesla filed a lawsuit against Marconi, claiming that he was the first to patent the basic principles of radio, not Marconi. However, Tesla went bankrupt in 1916, which hampered further legal struggle. It was not until 1943, after Tesla’s death, that the US Supreme Court reinstated Tesla’s right to patent 645.576, granting him priority on the radio patent.

Middle and Later Years

In his middle years, Tesla had a friendly relationship with the American writer Mark Twain, who spent a lot of time in Tesla’s laboratory. He was also friends with Robert Johnson, the editor of Century Magazine, who published a few poems by Jovan Jovanovic Zmaj translated by Tesla.

Tesla patented several inventions, including a bladeless turbine and various wireless communication devices. In 1917, he received the Edison Medal, the highest honor of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE). In addition, he investigated the effects of different frequencies and resonances on materials and living things. He developed theories that later inspired many scientists in fields such as radiology and nuclear physics.

Nikola Tesla’s later work involved various projects, including ideas about antigravity and the “death ray” (a weapon that could destroy enemy planes). Although many of these projects have not been implemented, they have shown his constant innovation.

The last Tesla patent in the field of air traffic was granted in 1928 and it referred to the first aircraft with vertical take-off and landing.

During his lifetime, Nikola Tesla patented 311 inventions worldwide (in 27 countries on 5 continents). However, it is important to note that many of these patents refer to the same Tesla inventions due to the registration of the same invention in several patent offices in different countries. Upon analysis and comparison, it was found that Tesla protected a total of 125 of his inventions, and the remaining 196 patents represent analogues filings.

Nikola Tesla passed away on January 7, 1943 at the age of 87, from a heart attack in his hotel suite n. 3327 on the 33rd floor of the New Yorker Hotel, where he spent the last days of his life.

At the commemoration, held on January 10, the then mayor of New York, Fiorella La Guardia, said: “Nikola Tesla died. He died poor, but he was one of the most useful people who have ever lived. What he created is great, and as time goes on, it gets even greater.”

The funeral service was held on January 12 at the Cathedral St. John the Divine in Manhattan, New York. About two thousand people attended Tesla’s funeral, including many notable figures and Nobel laureates, but also hundreds of ordinary people who paid tribute to the genius whose inventions made their lives easier.

After Tesla’s Death

His death marked the end of one of the most prolific and innovative minds of the 20th century. Tesla made invaluable contributions to science and technology. The unit of magnetic field strength is called Tesla (T), and his name is also given to craters on the Moon, as well as many institutions and awards dedicated to the promotion of science and technology. Although he never received the Nobel Prize, his inventions and predictions shaped the world as we know it today.

Tesla was a visionary who anticipated many technological innovations that are part of our daily lives today. His vision of a world where technology serves humanity and helps solve global problems continues to inspire engineers, scientists, and innovators around the world.

Nikola Tesla was a genius whose ideas and inventions changed the world. His contribution to science and technology cannot be evaluated, and his work continues to inspire generations of scientists and engineers. Tesla’s vision of the future in which technology serves humanity is still relevant and is a guidepost for further progress and development.