Nikola Tesla Day - July 10

July 10, 1856 marks the day renowned Serbian-American scientist and engineer Nikola Tesla came into this world. The anniversary of his birth is celebrated by an ever-growing number of people and organizations who wish to commemorate his many contributions to the world of science and our very way of life.

This “Day of Science”, according to the Tesla Memorial Society of New York, is set to one day become an international event. “A holiday aimed at paying tribute to Tesla's work and celebrating science, progress, peace, and brotherhood among all nations and religions.”

Although relatively well known in his day as an accomplished inventor, physicist, and engineer, Nikola Tesla died nearly penniless in 1943 at the age of 87. Like many great visionaries, his many theories and inventions were not fully appreciated until decades later. Many ideas were copied or flat-out stolen. He once stated that he was not as concerned about the theft as much as he was the inability of others to come up with their own ideas.

Now a household name, his legacy nearly overshadows that of Thomas Edison, who once employed Tesla as an engineer. Perhaps the most well-known feat from his era was the victory over Edison in the “War of Currents” where Tesla’s radical concept to power the world with Alternating Current (AC) won out over Edison’s fondness for the use of Direct Current. The world has reaped the benefits of Tesla’s insistence on AC ever since.

The scientist that history book publishers forgot only now has many of his more obscure inventions proven extremely useful as modern science slowly catches up. Some of Tesla’s more complex theories and inventions remain a mystery, partially due to his eidetic memory, which allowed him to work without extensive documentation, and a tragic lab fire in 1895 that destroyed volumes of documents and equipment. As a good share of his ideas were disruptive to long-held concepts of the time, Tesla routinely failed to market and monetize his inventions which made it difficult to fund projects and maintain a consistent living.

Nikola Tesla Day still has no official holiday status. That does not prevent enthusiasts around the world from taking time to post on social media and hold gatherings to honor and remember Tesla’s long list of contributions to humanity and science.

Nikola Tesla’s achievements include but are not limited to:

Polyphase Alternating Current

The Tesla Turbine Engine

Hydro-Electric Power Generation

The Tesla Coil for wireless transmission of power and signals

Electro-Mechanical Oscillators

Wireless Remote Control

X-Ray Technology

Nearly 300 Patents Worldwide for such things as electromagnetic motors, incandescent lighting, electricity distribution systems, and dynamo electric machines.

Resources:

Tesla Memorial Society of New York - https://www.teslasociety.com/

Nikola Tesla, History.com - https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/nikola-tesla

Nikola Tesla Illustration by Craftmanspace - https://www.craftsmanspace.com/free-patterns/nikola-tesla-portrait.html

Attribution: https://www.d8.craftsmanspace.com/creative-commons-attribution-noncommercial-sharealike-license