Nikola Tesla

Tesla, Nikola (1856–1943), U.S. electrical engineer, inventor of the induction motor. His innovative motor used alternating electric current. This concept, purchased by a George Westinghouse company, was used to develop a successful commercial motor. Tesla worked on other successful inventions, including the Tesla coil, an arc-lighting system, and various generators and transformers. He was a forerunner in the field of communications with his work on wireless radio transmissions. He was born in Croatia, and moved to the United States in 1884.

See also: Electric motor.