Tesla the tinkerer
Nikola Tesla developed the alternating-current electrical system and discovered the rotating magnetic field. He was born in July 1856, in what is now Croatia. As a child, his passion for invention was sparked by his mother, who spent her spare time tinkering and inventing small household appliances.
Two great minds
Tesla came to the United States in 1884 and met Thomas Edison. The same passion for invention brought the two together – but soon they parted ways. Edison and Tesla were very different types of engineers. Edison was committed to turning inventions into products while Tesla was less motivated by the commercial viability of an idea. Despite his lack of commercial intention, Tesla’s inventions were pivotal.
Global superpower
In 1891 he invented the Tesla Coil and an alternating-current electrical system of generators, motors and transformers – both of which are widely used today. Tesla held 40 basic US patents on the AC electrical system alone. It soon became the standard power system of the 20th century, and has remained the worldwide standard ever since. In 1895 Tesla designed the first hydroelectric powerplant at Niagara Falls, on the border of New York State and the province of Ontario.
