The Feud between Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison did everything he could to destroy Nikola Tesla's career.

I don't care that they stole my idea, I care that they don't have any of their own-Nikola Tesla

So who was Nikola Tesla and which idea is he talking about? And who stole his idea?

Nikola Tesla is one of the most influential inventors in the history. Without Tesla, there would be no electricity. Yet very few know about him. That is only because of one man, Thomas Edison. So what did Thomas Edison do to Nikola Tesla? This is the story of the rivalry between Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison.

Nikola Tesla's career began in 1884. Tesla has just arrived in the United States. He had just 4 cents in his pocket and a bundle of clothing. He was looking for a job. So he went to see Thomas Edison. Thomas Edison was one of the most famous inventors in the world at that time. Thomas gave Nikola a job. It was the golden age of America, with an increasing economy. But as soon as the sun sets down, the cities went quiet because there was no electricity.

Thomas Edison had first invented the first commercially available electrical lightbulb. But there were no systems to deliver electricity to the masses. Edison wanted to use DC power(direct current). He proposed to distribute this current to every house in America.

The basic idea was to build a powerplant in every block or two, but there was one problem. Edison's DC power generators were very fragile. They were prone to breakdown. Edison failed to find any solution.

So one day, Edison took the problem to Tesla and told him that,

If you can solve this problem, I'll give you $50,000-Thomas Edison

Tesla accepted the challenge and worked for months. Finally, Tesla succeeded and showed Edison the solution. When he asked for the $50,000 reward, Edison denied him. Edison said that he was being sarcastic at that time. Tesla neither got the money nor the credit for his work. Hence, Tesla quit his job.

After quitting, Tesla started working in his own projects. Soon, he came up with an alternative and better idea to distribute electricity. His idea was AC power(alternating current). Edison's DC power could travel in a single direction only. DC power plants could only distribute electricity within a short-range.

Tesla's AC power could periodically change its direction. And it was possible for AC powerplants to distribute energy anywhere without limitationof distance. But Tesla's idea was considered impossible by many inventors. Until one day, a wealthy inventor named George Westinghouse was ready to invest in Tesla's idea. That's how the war of the currents began.

The war between Edison's DC power and Tesla's AC power. In the end, Tesla won the race.

His AC power made its debut in the 1893 Chicago World Fair. The fair was full of lights and it was the start of a new era. The wkrld had never witnessed anything like that. There were lights everywhere and it was Tesla's AC power which had made it possible.

Edison had already lost the war but he did not accept the defeat. He tried to take down Tesla in a dirty way. He distributed pamphlets all around the USA warning the people about the dangers of AC power. But Edison's dirty game failed. Westinghouse and Tesla was already on their way to light America.

Tesla's plan was to use the Niagra falls to create electricity and deliver it to New York. In 1895, Tesla and Westington plant opened and started distributing power. That's how Tesla had the last say in the war of the currents.

Yet today more students know about Edison than Tesla. Edison was more famous because of his commercial presence.

Money does not represent such a value as men have placed upon it. All my money has been invested into experiments with which I have made new discoveries enabling mankind to have a little easier life - Nikola Tesla

Without Nikola Tesla, there would be no electricity.

This is my first time knowing this. Actually I was a bit surprised because I have learned in school about Thomas Edison but not Nikola Tesla. So I thought that I need to share this. I hope you like it. @damelindz

photo and information source: Google