How Nikola Tesla Changed America
Nikola Tesla: The Spark that Illuminated America
Phillip Cherner Morrison: 3 When one thinks of electricity and light, one of the first things to come to mind is usually the name Thomas Edison. One man’s name goes unheard though. A man, just as influential as Thomas Edison, perhaps more so, in the electrification of America, was the great innovator, Nikola Tesla. Nikola Tesla is a historical figure that goes unnoticed, with many of his contributions forgotten, lost in time. Tesla was a man of equal caliber to the great Thomas Edison, but because of poor marketing and because his ideas were so far ahead of his time, Nikola Tesla became obscure and went unknown. Even though Tesla died penniless and alone, he was one of the greatest innovators of the last century, playing a key role in the scientific movement that transformed America through science, bringing the country into the technological age. It is still not known whether Nikola Tesla was born on the 9th or the 10th of July in 1856 in Smilijan, Croatia, for he was born right around the stroke of midnight, but right from the start, it was clear that Tesla would be destined for great things. As the legend goes, Nikola Tesla was born during a great lightning storm. Tesla’s father, Reverend Milutin Tesla, was a religious man, coming from a long line of scholars and clergymen, believed that the storm was a sign that young Tesla would one day spread the light of the gospel. Tesla’s mother, Djouka Tesla, believed that he would be a child of light and that he would be successful in his life. Although never formally educated, Djouka Tesla was a very bright and capable woman, and it was to her that Nikola Tesla later attributed his inventive abilities. As a young child, Nikola Tesla showed great potential and inventiveness. At the age of four, Tesla designed a small, crude waterwheel for the brook near his home. With help from his brother Dane,
Phillip Cherner Morrison: 3 When one thinks of electricity and light, one of the first things to come to mind is usually the name Thomas Edison. One man’s name goes unheard though. A man, just as influential as Thomas Edison, perhaps more so, in the electrification of America, was the great innovator, Nikola Tesla. Nikola Tesla is a historical figure that goes unnoticed, with many of his contributions forgotten, lost in time. Tesla was a man of equal caliber to the great Thomas Edison, but because of poor marketing and because his ideas were so far ahead of his time, Nikola Tesla became obscure and went unknown. Even though Tesla died penniless and alone, he was one of the greatest innovators of the last century, playing a key role in the scientific movement that transformed America through science, bringing the country into the technological age. It is still not known whether Nikola Tesla was born on the 9th or the 10th of July in 1856 in Smilijan, Croatia, for he was born right around the stroke of midnight, but right from the start, it was clear that Tesla would be destined for great things. As the legend goes, Nikola Tesla was born during a great lightning storm. Tesla’s father, Reverend Milutin Tesla, was a religious man, coming from a long line of scholars and clergymen, believed that the storm was a sign that young Tesla would one day spread the light of the gospel. Tesla’s mother, Djouka Tesla, believed that he would be a child of light and that he would be successful in his life. Although never formally educated, Djouka Tesla was a very bright and capable woman, and it was to her that Nikola Tesla later attributed his inventive abilities. As a young child, Nikola Tesla showed great potential and inventiveness. At the age of four, Tesla designed a small, crude waterwheel for the brook near his home. With help from his brother Dane,
Cited: Dommermuth-Costa, Carol. Nikola Tesla: A Spark of Genius. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications, 1994. Hunt, Inez. Lightning in His Hand: The Life Story of Nikola Tesla. Denver: Sage, 1964. O 'Neill, John J. Prodigal Genius: The Life of Nikola Tesla. Albuquerque, NM: Brotherhood of Life, 1994. "Tesla, Master of Lightning." PBS. PBS. 10 Feb. 2012. . "Tesla: The Forgotten Genius of Electricity." Viewzone Magazine: A Look at Life and Human Culture from Different Angles. 10 Feb. 2012. .