PERSON OF THE WEEK

 

PERSON OF THE WEEK

Nikola Tesla

Born on 10 July 1856, Nikola Tesla is best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system. Tesla studied engineering and physics in the 1870s without receiving a degree, and gained practical experience in the early 1880s working in telephony and at Continental Edison in the new electric power industry. In 1884, Tesla came to America with little more than the clothes on his back. Within 20 years, he developed the system that would provide electricity to every home in the nation; invented a type of motor that's still used in all sorts of electric devices; and came up with most of the components used in radio and television broadcasting. Tesla conducted a range of experiments with mechanical oscillators/generators, electrical discharge tubes, and early X-ray imaging. He also built a wireless-controlled boat, one of the first ever exhibited. In the age of Edison, Westinghouse, Marconi and J.P. Morgan, Tesla was a giant of innovation because of his contributions in the fields of electricity, radio and robotics. While Tesla's star began to fade long ago, Elon Musk, who named his car and his company after him, has contributed to a Nikola Tesla revival.