Nikola Tesla was a famous Serbian-American inventor born in 1856 in what is now Croatia. He developed the alternating current electrical system still used today and discovered the rotating magnetic field. The lecture discussed Tesla's early life growing up in Croatia, his work with Thomas Edison after moving to the US in 1884, his development of AC power which he sold the patents for to George Westinghouse, and his later projects including an electrical tower for global wireless communication and a hydroelectric plant at Niagara Falls. Tesla ultimately died alone and in poverty in 1943 in New York City.

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LISTENING TEXT
NIKOLA TESLA
Hello. Today’s lecture will focus on the famous Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla, who developed the
alternating-current electrical system that's widely used today, and who discovered the rotating magnetic field, which is the
basis ofmostAC machinery. My lecture will be divided into four parts. First, I will talk about his early life. Later, I will inform
you abouthis arrival in the U.S in 1884 and his work together with Thomas Edison. Next, I will talk about his inventions and
his relation to George Westinghouse, and finally, I will explain how he died.
First, let’s have a look atwho Nikola Tesla was. Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla was born in 1856, in what is
now Croatia. Let me repeat. Famous Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla was born in 1856, in what is now Croatia.
Tesla's interest in electrical invention was likely encouraged by his mother, Djuka Mandic, who invented small household
appliances in her spare time while her son was growing up. Interesting, isn’t it? Djuka Mandic, a housewife, Tesla’s mother,
invented small household appliances in her spare time. However, Tesla's father, Milutin Tesla, was a priest.
After studying at the Polytechnic Institute in Graz, Austria and the University of Prague, Tesla began preparing for a
trip to America. Studying at Polytechnic Institute in Graz, Austria and the University of Prague preapared his way to go to
the United States in 1884. In the United States, Tesla began working with famed inventor and business entrepreneur
Thomas Edison. As I have mentioned, beginning in 1884, Tesla and Edison worked together for a brief period before
parting ways. They parted ways due to a harsh business-scientific relationship, attributed by historians to their incredibly
different personalities: While Edison was a powerful figure who focused on marketing and financial success, Tesla was
commercially out-of-tune. They were totally different characters. When I say Edison focused on marketing and financial
success, while Tesla was commercially “out-of –tune”, I mean Tesla was not pursuing financial success as much as Edison.
He was just an extremely successful inventor, and he pioneered some of history's most important inventions, but earning
money was not his main goal.
What about his inventions? His mostwell-known inventions include an alternating-current electrical system, which we
call AC. It is an electrical system for generators, motors and transformers that is still used widely today. At the 1893 World
Columbian Exposition, held in Chicago, Tesla conducted demonstrations of his AC system, which soon became the
standard power system of the 20th century, and has remained the worldwide standard ever since. On the AC electrical
system alone, Tesla held 40 basic U.S. patents, which he sold to George Westinghouse, an American engineer and
business man. Outside ofhis AC system patents, Tesla sold several other patent rights to Westinghouse. Two years later,
in 1895, Tesla designed the first hydroelectric power plant at Niagara Falls, a feat that was highly publicized throughout the
world. So, letme repeat. In 1893, at the World Columbian Exposition held in Chicago, Tesla demonstrated his AC system. It
soon became the standard power system ofthe 20th century and remained the worldwide standard ever since. For his AC
electrical system, Tesla held 40 basic U.S. patents, which were bought by George Westinghouse, an American engineer
and business man. Tesla also sold several other patentrights to Westinghouse. Finally, two years later, Tesla designed the
first hydroelectric power plant at Niagara Falls.
Around 1900, Tesla began working on his boldest tower project, called Wardenclyffe, in his Long Island, New York
laboratory. His goal was to build a global communication system through a large, electrical tower for sharing information
and providing free electricity throughout the world. Unbelievable, isn’t it? The idea of an electrical tower for sharing
information and providing free electricity throughout the world sounds unbelievable even with today’s technology, but he
imagined it. The system, however, never came to realization because of financial problems. It failed. As I have said, the
reason why it failed was financial limits, and Tesla had no choice but to abandon the Long Island, New York laboratory that
housed his work on the tower project, in Wardenclyffe. In 1917, the Wardenclyffe site was sold, and Tesla's tower was
destroyed.
In addition to his AC system and the Wardenclyffe tower project, throughout his career, Tesla discovered, designed
and developed ideas for a number ofimportant inventions, mostofwhich, including dynamos and the induction motor, were

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officially patented by other inventors. He was also a pioneer in the discovery of radar technology, and X-ray technology.
Yes, dynamos, and the induction motor were included in his inventions. And as I have said, he was also a pioneer in the
discovery of radar technology and X-ray technology.
Finally, let me explain how he died. He was poor and isolated. Yes, in poverty and alone, Nikola Tesla died on
January 7, 1943. In 1943, he was 86 years old. He died in New York City, where he had lived for nearly 60 years. His
legacy, however, has been thriving for more than a century, and will undoubtedly live on for decades to come. Thank you
for listening.

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NOTE-TAKING
CHILDHOOD & EDUCATION
EDISON &TESLA
A/C & WESTINGHOUSE

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WARDENCLYFFE
OTHER INVENTIONS
DEATH