Nikola Tesla was born in 1856 in Austria-Hungary and was an inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, and futurist best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system. He immigrated to the United States in 1884 to work for Thomas Edison but later struck out on his own. Some of Tesla's key inventions and contributions included developing the alternating current induction motor and the Tesla coil. He gained fame after helping George Westinghouse develop AC power distribution and winning the contract to power the 1893 World's Fair. Tesla spent his later years conducting experiments in wireless energy transmission and particle beams. He died in 1943 in New York City.

1. Nikola Tesla

2. Born July 10th, 1856 Smiljan, Austria (now Croatia)

3. Father: Rev. Milutin Tesla Mother: Duka Mandic Sisters: Milka, Angelina and Marica Tesla

4. 1875 starts technical schooling in Graz, Austria for three years Quits school and moves to Maribor, Slovenia Starts Charles-Ferdinand University in Prague in 1880 Fell ill

5. Moves to Budapest, Hungary, to work under Tivadar Puskás in a telegraph company Becomes chief electrician to the company Develops first loud speaker Moves to Paris, France to work for the Continental Edison Company , helping to resolve problems with their DC dynamos Goes back to his mothers birthplace after he learns of her death

6. 6 June 1884 first arrived in the US in New York City Edison hires Tesla to work for his Edison Machine Works Offered 1.1 million dollars if he redesigned Edison's inefficient motor and generators Quits working for Edison and begins to dig ditches

7. 1886, Tesla forms Tesla Electric Light & Manufacturing Initial financial investors relieve Tesla of his duties at the company 1886 to 1887 works as a common laborer to raise capital for his next project

8. 1880 constructs alternating current induction motor and the Tesla coil Begins working with George Westinghouse at Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company's Pittsburgh labs Experiments with X-rays, mechanical resonance, radio technology, radio controlling of a boat model

9. AC current was used to illuminate the exhibition

10. Wins the contract to light Niagara Falls with AC electricity November 16, 1896 first power reaches Buffalo

11. 1899, Tesla begins research in Colorado Springs, Colorado conducting wireless telegraphy experiments observed unusual signals that he later thought may have been evidence of extraterrestrial radio communications Left January 1900

12. Received $150,000 from J. P. Morgan to construct Wardenclyffe December 12, 1901Marconi developmed a radiotelegraph system Morgan stopped funding the project 1905 the project was abandoned

13. On 11 July 1934 the headline on the front page of the New York Times read, "TESLA, AT 78, BARES NEW 'DEATH BEAM.'"

14. Died some time between the evening of 5 January and the morning of 8 January 1943, at the age of 86. Tesla's funeral took place on 12 January 1943, at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in Manhattan, New York City. His body was cremated and his ashes taken to Belgrade, Yugoslavia in 1957. The urn was placed in the Nikola Tesla Museum.