Serbian‑American inventor and electrical engineer (1856–1943) noted for developing alternating‑current power systems, the induction motor, and the Tesla coil, and for pioneering wireless technologies. His work with Westinghouse helped electrify the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and Niagara Falls, shaping modern power transmission.
Last updated February 1, 2026
Born 1856; Serbian-American inventor and electrical engineer; developed alternating-current (AC) power systems, induction motor, and Tesla coil; died 1943 in New York City Britannica.
Early Life and Education
Nikola Tesla was born in Smiljan, then part of the Austrian Empire (now in Croatia), to Serbian parents on July 9/10, 1856 Britannica. He studied engineering at the Technical University at Graz and later attended the University of Prague without taking a degree Britannica. In 1882 he worked for the Continental Edison Company in Paris and constructed his first induction motor during an assignment in Strassburg (Strasbourg) in 1883 Britannica. He immigrated to the United States in 1884 Britannica.
AC Power and the Induction Motor
In 1887–1888 Tesla filed a landmark group of U.S. patents covering his polyphase AC system—generators, transformers, and motors—later issued as U.S. 381,968–381,970 and 382,279–382,282 (May 1, 1888) The Franklin Institute. His May 16, 1888 lecture before the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) established the theoretical and practical basis for his AC system The Franklin Institute. In 1891 he invented the Tesla coil, a high‑voltage resonant transformer foundational to radio technology Britannica.
Westinghouse, the War of Currents, and Public Demonstrations
George Westinghouse acquired rights to Tesla’s AC patents in 1888, catalyzing the competition between direct current (DC) systems and AC, often called the “War of Currents” Britannica. Tesla became widely known for laboratory demonstrations, including lighting lamps with current passing through his body to allay public fears of AC Britannica. Westinghouse used Tesla’s system to illuminate the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, a pivotal public success for AC Britannica. A Library of Congress timeline likewise highlights the 1893 demonstration of AC generators at the fair Library of Congress.
Niagara Falls and the Modern Power Grid
The success at Chicago helped secure the contract for the first major AC power installation at Niagara Falls. The project carried power to Buffalo by 1896, marking a milestone in long‑distance power transmission and modern electric utility practice Britannica. The Library of Congress guide also notes the opening of the first Niagara Falls hydroelectric plant in 1896 Library of Congress. These achievements cemented the AC polyphase system as the standard for generation and distribution Britannica.
Wireless Experiments and Wardenclyffe
In Colorado Springs (1899–1900), Tesla pursued high‑frequency experiments, reporting terrestrial stationary waves and large artificial lightning discharges Britannica. Returning to New York in 1900, he began the Wardenclyffe Tower project on Long Island with funding from J. P. Morgan, intended as a global wireless communications hub; the project was abandoned after cost overruns and withdrawal of support Britannica. The Library of Congress timeline records Wardenclyffe’s construction (1902) and its later demise amid financial difficulties Library of Congress. For public background on Tesla’s wireless vision and demonstrations, see PBS’s curated history PBS.
Radio Priority and Legal Recognition
In Marconi Wireless Telegraph Co. v. United States (1943), the U.S. Supreme Court discussed Tesla’s earlier disclosures of tuned circuits and a four‑circuit wireless system, noting that these features anticipated aspects of later Marconi claims U.S. Supreme Court (Justia). The opinion details Tesla’s Patent No. 645,576 and its tuning and synchronization methods relevant to wireless communication U.S. Supreme Court (Justia).
Later Life, Honors, and Legacy
Tesla became a U.S. citizen in 1891 Britannica. He received the Edison Medal in 1917 from the American Institute of Electrical Engineers Britannica. He died in New York City on January 7, 1943 Britannica. The SI unit of magnetic flux density, the tesla (T), was named in his honor by the General Conference on Weights and Measures in 1960 BIPM. Many of his papers and effects were ultimately housed in the Nikola Tesla Museum in Belgrade Britannica. For additional public‑facing context on his collaborations and late life, see History.com History.com.
Serbian‑American inventor and electrical engineer (1856–1943) noted for developing alternating‑current power systems, the induction motor, and the Tesla coil, and for pioneering wireless technologies. His work with Westinghouse helped electrify the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and Niagara Falls, shaping modern power transmission.
Last updated February 1, 2026
Born 1856; Serbian-American inventor and electrical engineer; developed alternating-current (AC) power systems, induction motor, and Tesla coil; died 1943 in New York City Britannica.
Early Life and Education
Nikola Tesla was born in Smiljan, then part of the Austrian Empire (now in Croatia), to Serbian parents on July 9/10, 1856 Britannica. He studied engineering at the Technical University at Graz and later attended the University of Prague without taking a degree Britannica. In 1882 he worked for the Continental Edison Company in Paris and constructed his first induction motor during an assignment in Strassburg (Strasbourg) in 1883 Britannica. He immigrated to the United States in 1884 Britannica.
AC Power and the Induction Motor
In 1887–1888 Tesla filed a landmark group of U.S. patents covering his polyphase AC system—generators, transformers, and motors—later issued as U.S. 381,968–381,970 and 382,279–382,282 (May 1, 1888) The Franklin Institute. His May 16, 1888 lecture before the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) established the theoretical and practical basis for his AC system The Franklin Institute. In 1891 he invented the Tesla coil, a high‑voltage resonant transformer foundational to radio technology Britannica.
Westinghouse, the War of Currents, and Public Demonstrations
George Westinghouse acquired rights to Tesla’s AC patents in 1888, catalyzing the competition between direct current (DC) systems and AC, often called the “War of Currents” Britannica. Tesla became widely known for laboratory demonstrations, including lighting lamps with current passing through his body to allay public fears of AC Britannica. Westinghouse used Tesla’s system to illuminate the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, a pivotal public success for AC Britannica. A Library of Congress timeline likewise highlights the 1893 demonstration of AC generators at the fair Library of Congress.
Niagara Falls and the Modern Power Grid
The success at Chicago helped secure the contract for the first major AC power installation at Niagara Falls. The project carried power to Buffalo by 1896, marking a milestone in long‑distance power transmission and modern electric utility practice Britannica. The Library of Congress guide also notes the opening of the first Niagara Falls hydroelectric plant in 1896 Library of Congress. These achievements cemented the AC polyphase system as the standard for generation and distribution Britannica.
Wireless Experiments and Wardenclyffe
In Colorado Springs (1899–1900), Tesla pursued high‑frequency experiments, reporting terrestrial stationary waves and large artificial lightning discharges Britannica. Returning to New York in 1900, he began the Wardenclyffe Tower project on Long Island with funding from J. P. Morgan, intended as a global wireless communications hub; the project was abandoned after cost overruns and withdrawal of support Britannica. The Library of Congress timeline records Wardenclyffe’s construction (1902) and its later demise amid financial difficulties Library of Congress. For public background on Tesla’s wireless vision and demonstrations, see PBS’s curated history PBS.
Radio Priority and Legal Recognition
In Marconi Wireless Telegraph Co. v. United States (1943), the U.S. Supreme Court discussed Tesla’s earlier disclosures of tuned circuits and a four‑circuit wireless system, noting that these features anticipated aspects of later Marconi claims U.S. Supreme Court (Justia). The opinion details Tesla’s Patent No. 645,576 and its tuning and synchronization methods relevant to wireless communication U.S. Supreme Court (Justia).
Later Life, Honors, and Legacy
Tesla became a U.S. citizen in 1891 Britannica. He received the Edison Medal in 1917 from the American Institute of Electrical Engineers Britannica. He died in New York City on January 7, 1943 Britannica. The SI unit of magnetic flux density, the tesla (T), was named in his honor by the General Conference on Weights and Measures in 1960 BIPM. Many of his papers and effects were ultimately housed in the Nikola Tesla Museum in Belgrade Britannica. For additional public‑facing context on his collaborations and late life, see History.com History.com.
