Nikola Tesla was an electrical engineer, inventor, and one of the most outstanding physicists in the history of science. But beyond his brilliant work, some aspects of his life remain hidden in the pages of history. There are some facts you didn’t know about Nikola Tesla.

Recently, a new statue in honor of Tesla was unveiled in Long Island of New York, which, according to historical data, was the final resting place of the brilliant scientist.

Tesla won more than 700 patents and became famous for developing AC (alternating current), while his work became the basis of developments in wireless communications, radar, laser X rays, lighting, robotics, and many other areas.

Beyond the scientific heritage that made him famous worldwide, his life had some aspects of it remain unknown to most people.

Here are a few facts about Tesla’s life as presented by Jane Alcorn, president of the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe.

5 Facts You Didn’t Know about Nikola Tesla

1. The Tesla museum was funded by a cartoon

In May, the Wardenclyffe was purchased by the Tesla Science Center for $ 1,370,000 donated by the website IndieGoGo. The campaign was started by Matthew Inman, creator of the popular comic Oatmeal.

2. Some of Tesla’s inventions were classified

In 1943, when Tesla died, the Office of Alien Property took his stuff. Most of these things were given to his family, and many were taken to the Tesla Museum in Belgrade. However, some documents still remain classified by the U.S. Government.

3. Tesla was an environmentalist

As Alcorn said, Tesla was “worried about the fact that people consume the Earth’s resources too fast, so he wanted to make sure that these resources were renewable“.

Thus, he studied the ways to gather natural energy from the ground and air. He created artificial lightning in his lab and detected differences in electrical potential on Earth and on high objects.

4. Tesla died a very poor humanist

Except for being environmentalist, the famous inventor was also a humanist. According to Alcorn,

“he did what he did for the sake of the betterment of mankind and wanted to give people an opportunity to have a better quality of life. Thus, he never seemed to care about monetary gain and never had enough money for his research.”

Although he had famous friends such as Mark Twain and French actress Sarah Bernhardt, he was never a wealthy man, unlike Edison and Westinghouse who proved much more successful entrepreneurs.

5. Tesla suffered from insomnia and obsessive-compulsive behaviors (OCD)

He claimed that he needed only two hours of sleep a night, although he occasionally took an afternoon nap. Tesla hated round objects and jewelry and could not bear to touch the hair. Also, he was obsessed with the number three and had a habit of polishing each point of the dining room before dining, using precisely 18 napkins.

These are just some of the facts you didn’t know about Nikola Tesla. It was certainly a remarkable man whose genius continues to amaze people all over the world decades after his death.


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This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. If I ever make it, I will be happy because it will be done by a Serb. - Tesla

    Half informations are not true. Not based on my opinion but on facts. Americans will never reveal real Tesla’s inventions. And veeery big number of them were destroyed after his death, because he never wrote anything but final concept of patent, so dumbs who got those scriptures could not figure out what’s realy on.

  2. Chuck

    He was never a wealthy man, Not True

    Is not true , he was a very wealthy man at one point in his life .

    He had many many patents Westinghouse was going broke paying Tesla for Patent , so Tesla was a humanitarian and torn up the contract for payment etc.

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