Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) was a Serbian-American inventor, best known for his development of alternating current electrical systems. He also made extraordinary contributions to the fields of electromagnetism and wireless radio communications. He was a child prodigy and possessed an eidetic memory with a futuristic vision for the mankind which is evident from most of his discoveries and researches. He was a trained electrical and mechanical engineer whose discoveries and inventions included the modern electric motor, wireless transmission of energy, basic laser and radar technology, the first neon and fluorescent illumination and the Tesla coil (widely used in radio, television sets, and other electronic equipment). Despite being a great inventor, his life was mostly shadowed by poverty because he was a terrible businessman. He was impractical with his money and had nobody to pass on his legacy to since he never got involved in a relationship with anyone. Although he was regarded as a generous and polite person by his friends, he had very limited social interaction with them because of his firm daily routine. He was a loner all his life and died penniless without the accolades that he would ultimately earn after his death. He was undoubtedly one of the most influential inventors of the 20th century whose discoveries in the field of electricity were way ahead of his time and continue to influence technology even today. Nikola Tesla, with Roger Boskovich's book, “Theoria Philosophiae Naturalis,” in front of the spiral coil of his high-frequency transformer at East Houston St. 46, New York. Photograph of the experimenter standing in the middle of the laboratory and lighting a vacuum bulb by waves from a distant oscillator — His body is, in this case, subjected to great electrical pressure. Lighting a disconnected vacuum bulb of 1,500 candle power by high-frequency currents — Photograph taken by the light of the bulb itself, exposure about two seconds. First photograph ever taken by phosphorescent light. The face is that of Mr. Tesla, and the source of light is one of his phosphorescent bulbs. The time of exposure, eight minutes. Date of photograph January, 1894. Dr. Nikola Tesla — This immigrant from Yugoslavia invented a.c. motors and radio. A 1943 Supreme Court decision invalidated Marconi radio patents because of Tesla's prior work. Nikola Tesla in his forties. The hand of Nikola Tesla, taken by his wonderful artificial daylight, just perfected. This is the first photograph made by the light of the future. A glow of nitrogen fills the atmosphere. Tesla is photographed sitting in front of his generator. This photograph was taken in 1899. Photograph showing an incandescent lamp lighted by means of waves transmitted through space to a coil without a condenser. Publicity photo taken of Tesla by a reporter during his annual birthday press event. Tesla working in his office at 8 West 40th Street. Tesla demonstrates “wireless” power transmission in his Houston Street laboratory in March 1899. Experiment illustrating the action of a synchronized circuit energized by waves transmitted from a distant oscillator - The energy received is transferred upon another unresponsive circuit, lighting the incandescent lamp attached to the same. John T. Morris, Victor Beam and Tesla pose with the alternator that had been discovered. Tesla holding a gas-filled phosphor coated wireless light bulb which he developed in the 1890's, half a century before fluorescent lamps come into use. Published on the cover of the Electrical Experimenter in 1919. Tesla is seen in his New York City office in 1916. The inventor often crossed the street to Bryant Park to feed the pigeons there. The drawings behind Tesla depict his steam engine design. Tesla in 1879 at age twenty-three. The master of lightning in his room at the Hotel New Yorker. Tesla receives the Order of the White Lion from the Czechoslovak governments, July, 11, 1937. Tesla in 1916 pointing to a discharge in a photograph taken at Colorado Springs in 1899. Nikola Tesla photographed working in his office at 8 West 40th Street. The image was taken in 1916. Pictured here is Nikola Tesla and one of his inventions. This image was taken in 1916. Tesla experiments with currents of High Voltage and High Frequency in 1899. Tesla near his transmitter in Colorado Springs. The device was capable of transmitting millions of volts of electricity over great distances without wires. The image was taken in 1899. Tesla looks out the door of his laboratory in Colorado Springs. The image was taken in 1899.