Birthday of Nikola Tesla (10th July 1856)

This Saturday will mark the 154th birthday of the mecahnical and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla. Tesla was one of the most important contributors to the birth of commercial electricity, and is well known for his many revolutionary developments in the field of electromagnetism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

He is perhaps most famously remembered for his work around alternating current (AC) a development that resulted from a famous disagreement with Edison, who advocated the use of direct current for electricity supply. Tesla's AC induction motor is widely used throughout the world in industry and household appliances and is considered by many as one of the ten greatest discoveries of all time. It also started the industrial revolution at the turn of the century. Electricity today is generated, transmitted and converted to mechanical power by means of his inventions.

Tesla also designed the first hydroelectric power plant in Niagara Falls in 1895 - an achievement which was covered widely in the world press and one for which King Nikola of Montenegro conferred upon him the Order of Danilo.

However, perhaps the most iconic invention attributed to Tesla is the Tesla Coil. Created in 1891, this component was widely used in radio and television sets and other electronic equipment, although nowadays is more often used in entertainment and educational displays.

Why not celebrate his achievements by looking at the Bright Sparks resource collection in the eLibrary? This selection of videos looks at the installation of electrical equipment in different contexts, with accompanying practical worksheets to go with the videos.