Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, and futurist renowned for his groundbreaking contributions to the design and development of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system, a technological marvel that revolutionized the way electricity is generated, transmitted, and utilized.
Born and raised in the Austrian Empire, Tesla's early life was marked by a passion for engineering and physics, which ultimately led him to pursue higher education in these fields during the 1870s, although he did not receive a formal degree. Instead, he gained valuable practical experience in the early 1880s by working in telephony and at Continental Edison, a pioneering company in the emerging electric power industry.
In 1884, Tesla made the bold decision to emigrate to the United States, where he eventually became a naturalized citizen. After a brief stint at the Edison Machine Works in New York City, he struck out on his own, leveraging the financial and marketing support of partners to establish laboratories and companies in New York dedicated to developing a diverse range of electrical and mechanical devices.
Tesla's crowning achievement was the invention of the alternating current (AC) induction motor and related polyphase AC patents, which he licensed to Westinghouse Electric in 1888. This innovative technology earned him a substantial fortune and became the cornerstone of the polyphase system that Westinghouse eventually marketed, transforming the electric power industry and cementing Tesla's legacy as one of the most influential inventors and engineers of the 20th century.
