Tesla, Nikola (July 10, 1856 – January 7, 1943), inventor and electrical engineer, was born in Smiljan, Croatia and died in New York, New York , the son of Milutin and Ðuka Tesla, both Orthodox priests. His mother Ðuka invented small household appliances, which sparked Tesla's interest in invention; however, his father was adamant about Tesla entering the priesthood. In 1873, when Tesla was 17, he contracted cholera and his father promised him that if he survived, he could attend engineering school. Two years later, Tesla recovered and enrolled at the Polytechnic Institute in Graz, Austria, to study mechanical and electrical engineering. It was here that Tesla discovered the Gramme dynamo, an electrical generator that produces direct current, through one of his teachers. Tesla thought it might be possible to remove the spark connections (switches) altogether, which made his teacher laugh. However, Tesla was not discouraged and became obsessed with finding this solution. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Tesla's invention process wasn't very healthy. On average, he worked from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. the next day. Even into old age, Tesla said he only slept two or three hours a night. He formed his ideas through moments of inspiration and planned the invention down to the smallest detail in his head before attempting to build it. This was the case with its alternating current motor. After abandoning his studies in 1878, Tesla moved to Budapest in 1881 to work as chief electrician at the Budapest telephone exchange. It was here that Tesla had a flash of genius and came up with the idea of ​​using alternating currents to get rid of inefficient collectors. This invention will soon be known as the induction motor. Following this discovery, he moved to France to begin working for the Continental Edison Company, where he improved electrical equipment. Shortly after, in 1884, Tesla moved to New York to work for Thomas Edison in hopes of bringing his AC motor to life. After receiving a recommendation from Charles Batchelor, one of Edison's business associates in Europe, Tesla was quickly hired. . Unfortunately, Edison had little interest in Tesla's revolutionary idea of ​​alternating current and would have preferred that Tesla worked to improve the efficiency of his DC motors and generators that powered New York City. It is assumed that Edison promised Tesla $50,000, money Edison did not have, if he succeeded. The idea of ​​having such a sum of money greatly appealed to the immigrant in difficulty. Sure enough, within months of being employed, Tesla completed this task, and when asked about his salary, Edison remarked, "When you become a full-fledged American, you will appreciate an American joke." » Tesla was not amused and proceeded to resign immediately. After leaving Edison, Tesla's talent did not go unnoticed. A group of investors approached him hoping to improve arc lighting, which he achieved. They funded the Tesla Electric Light Company, which was really just a stepping stone toward his dream of making the AC motor a reality. Fortunately, MAK Brown of the Western Union Company agreed to invest in Tesla's idea. In a small laboratory, Tesla quickly developed the parts of the alternating current power generation and transmission system. Today, Tesla's invention is used universally around the world. "The engines that.