Nikola Tesla was a famous inventor born in 1856 in Croatia who is considered the father of electricity. Some of his most important inventions included the Tesla coil, Tesla turbine, AC induction motor, and contributions to the development of three-phase electric power systems and neon lighting. During his life, Tesla was involved in a famous rivalry and patent battle known as the "War of Currents" where he advocated for the use of alternating current over Thomas Edison's preferred direct current for power distribution systems. Despite the contributions of his many inventions, Tesla died in poverty in 1943 with some of his ideas still not fully recognized.