In 1912, Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison were reportedly offered the Nobel Prize in Physics jointly, but both declined, insisting on receiving it individually.

Tesla was a rare experimental polymath of the 19th century, holding patents and making contributions in mechanical and electrical engineering, radio engineering, fluid mechanics, cryogenics, geophysics, vacuum technology, and aeronautics. Counting both approved and unapproved patents, Tesla amassed over 700 inventions with patent value.

Pioneering Alternating Current

Tesla’s most practical achievement was the invention of high-voltage alternating current (AC) transmission, which revolutionized electricity distribution. In theoretical innovation, he surpassed Edison, leaving generations of scientists struggling to fully digest his discoveries.

Born in Smiljan, Croatia (then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire), Tesla worked in Paris at Edison’s company before moving to the United States to join Edison’s lab, nine years his senior. He invented the AC generator and later founded the Tesla Electric Company, producing AC generators, motors, and transformers, while researching high-frequency technologies.

In 1880, Tesla built the world’s first AC generator. He believed AC would eventually allow wider, more cost-efficient electricity distribution. By 1888, he developed a complete AC power transmission system. His generators were simpler and more flexible than DC systems, and his transformers solved the problem of long-distance electricity transmission. In 1889, he successfully transmitted high-voltage electricity from Colorado Springs to New York, ushering AC into practical use. He later researched high-frequency medical devices, radio broadcasting, microwave power transmission, and television.

Public Demonstrations

At the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, Tesla spectacularly demonstrated AC electricity. Electric currents passed through his body to light bulbs and melt wires, astonishing reporters. Using his Tesla coil, he showcased AC’s advantages and safety.

For his early contributions—transmitting 200 kV at 57.6-meter overhead lines (1896–1899), inventing the Tesla coil, and advancing AC systems—the International Electrotechnical Commission named the magnetic flux density unit the “Tesla” in 1956 on his centennial.

Extraordinary Achievements

Tesla was both a scientist and a skilled engineer. Some of his experiments, like artificial lightning generation, remain difficult to replicate. His most valuable contributions include the rotating magnetic field principle, multiphase AC power systems, and AC induction motors.

The Tesla coil, a high-frequency resonant transformer, could generate millions of volts. He also pioneered fluorescent lighting, X-rays, ruby lasers, electron microscopy, and radio remote control. He developed early logic circuits akin to computer “AND” gates, articulated radar principles, and detected extraterrestrial radio signals, exploring cosmic rays.

Tesla’s work involved extreme risk; he frequently exposed himself to high voltages and X-rays. He experimented with geomagnetic resonance, even demonstrating localized ground vibrations, inspiring the so-called “Tesla effect,” where small inputs could produce massive outputs—an effect with theoretical potential for geophysical weapons.

Legacy

Tesla emphasized theory-based experimentation, unlike Edison, who relied on trial and error. Tesla’s eccentric genius, adventurous spirit, and personal austerity shaped his unique path. Injured by a taxi in his later years, he lived to 87, died unmarried and childless, leaving extensive scientific documentation but no personal fortune or will.

Today, Tesla’s name lives on in the American electric vehicle company founded by Elon Musk, honoring his legacy of innovation and audacious vision.