Nikola Tesla died in 1943, but his legacy continues to live on. He is known for his breakthroughs in the production, transmission, and application of electric power. Tesla is credited for being the first person to invent the alternating current (AC) motor. He also developed AC generation and transmission technology. Despite the success of his inventions, Tesla never gained a huge financial profit from his work.
Early Life
Tesla was a whiz at math and science and his first idea for a brushless AC motor came in 1882. In 1884, Tesla moved to the United States from Paris, where he had been previously repairing direct current (DC) power plants with the Continental Edison Company.
After landing in the US, Tesla made his way to New York and started working as an engineer at Thomas Edison’s Manhattan headquarters. Unfortunately, his relationship with Edison didn’t end well and after only a year of working for him, Tesla quit and attempted to start his own electric light company.
Research and Inventions
Tesla eventually moved on to performing research into alternating current and was invited to address the American Institute of Electrical Engineers on his work as a result. Over the course of the next few years, Tesla invented electric oscillators, meters, improved lights, and the high-voltage transformer that would come to be known as the Tesla coil.
Legacy
Unfortunately, Tesla was hit with a stroke of bad luck when his lab burned down in 1885, taking his notes and equipment with it. After the incident, he attempted to build a global communications network but was ultimately unsuccessful.
Eventually, Tesla was forced to work on his inventions out of a hotel room in New York, which contributed to the deterioration of his mental health.
Tesla became obsessed with washing as well as the number 3 and at some point even began to believe that he could communicate with pigeons. Unfortunately, Nikola Tesla died by himself in his hotel room in 1943. However, his inventions continue to live on.