Nikola tesla
Nikola Tesla (Nikola Tesla)
Nikola Tesla (pronounced: nee-KOH-lah TESS-lah) was a Serbian-American inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, and futurist best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system.
Etymology
The name "Nikola" is a Slavic given name, derived from the Greek name Nikolaos (Νικόλαος), which means "victory of the people". The surname "Tesla" is of uncertain origin, but it is believed to be a Serbian occupational name for a border guard or toll collector.
Biography
Nikola Tesla was born on 10 July 1856 in Smiljan, Croatia, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His father, Milutin Tesla, was a Serbian Orthodox priest. Tesla's mother, Đuka Tesla, whose father was also an Orthodox priest, had a talent for making home craft tools and mechanical appliances and the ability to memorize Serbian epic poems. Đuka had never received a formal education. Tesla credited his eidetic memory and creative abilities to his mother's genetics and influence.
Tesla studied electrical engineering at the Austrian Polytechnic in Graz. He worked as a draftsman in the Central Telegraph Office in Budapest before moving to Paris to work at the Continental Edison Company. In 1884, he emigrated to the United States, where he worked at the Edison Machine Works in New York City.
Contributions
Tesla's patents and theoretical work formed the basis of modern AC electric power systems, including the polyphase system of electrical distribution and the AC motor, which helped usher in the Second Industrial Revolution.
Related Terms
- Alternating current
- Electrical engineering
- Mechanical engineering
- Futurist
- Inventor
- Electricity supply system
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