Nikola
Tesla

Born on July 10, 1856, in Smiljan (modern-day Croatia), Nikola Tesla showcased a precocious talent for invention and a profound understanding of electrical phenomena. Educated in Graz and Prague, he began his career in the telephone industry in Europe. However, the allure of greater opportunities drew him to the United States in 1884, where he briefly worked with Thomas Edison, a relationship that would later become famously contentious due to their differing views on electrical current systems.

Tesla's most notable contribution came with his development of alternating current (AC) systems, which became the dominant method for electrical power distribution, sidelining Edison's direct current (DC) approach. Beyond this, Tesla's genius gave rise to numerous inventions and concepts, including the Tesla coil, early iterations of wireless communication, and ideas that hinted at global transmission of power. While often perceived as eccentric and ahead of his time, Tesla's innovations laid the groundwork for countless modern technologies. Despite passing away in relative obscurity on January 7, 1943, in New York City, Tesla's legacy has since been rightfully celebrated as one of the great pillars of modern electrical engineering and innovation.