Nikola Tesla was a visionary inventor and electrical engineer who developed the alternating current (AC) electrical system now used worldwide. His rivalry with Thomas Edison shaped the modern electrical grid, and his ideas about wireless energy transmission were decades ahead of his time.
Key Facts
Developed the alternating current (AC) induction motor and power system
Won the 'War of Currents' against Edison's DC system — AC became the global standard
Built the Tesla coil and pioneered research into radio communication
Died alone and impoverished in a New York hotel room in 1943