Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) was a Serbian-American electrical engineer, physicist, and inventor best known for his discovery of the rotating magnetic field that is the basis of alternating current.

Born in what is now Croatia, he came to the United States in 1884, where he worked for a time with Thomas Alva Edison. During his career, he designed and developed ideas for outstanding inventions, including the Tesla coil, the induction motor, and the dynamo. He also contributed to the discovery of X-rays, radar, and remote control.

Tesla is considered one of the greatest inventors in history. His design of alternating current would become the standard from the 20th century to the present day. In 1887 he founded the Tesla Electric Company and later that year successfully patented several inventions related to alternating current.

However, he failed to see the commercial value of his ideas and died poor and without the prestige he has today. Thomas Edison, who had the skills of an inventor and a businessman, differed from Tesla in methods and ideas and was eventually able to become rich with the electrical installations of his Edison Manufacturing Company.​

In 1885, Nikola Tesla founded his company, which he called the Electric Light & Manufacturing Company. Within the framework of this company, Tesla made several inventions and obtained the corresponding patents. However, at that time there was a serious crisis that prevented the project from continuing.

Faced with this situation, Tesla had the intervention of George Westinghouse, an inventor, engineer and entrepreneur from the United States, who agreed to help him on the condition that he would receive the patents for the most important inventions.

Among these patents, those of the Tesla motor stand out, as well as that of a current transformer, which made it easier to distribute electricity to the people who would eventually use it.

After having to close down his company, Tesla founded a laboratory in New York, specializing in electrical engineering, where he continued to work on various inventions.

One of his innovations was the discovery of the principle of the rotating magnetic field. During this period he also began to work with polyphase alternating current systems.

Inventions and contributions

The alternating current

The induction motor

The current transformer

The Wardenclyffe Tower

The radio

The submarine

The mechanism to drive propellers

Wireless power transmission (wireless)

Source: https://www.lifeder.com/inventos-nikola-tesla/