Nikola Tesla

Inventor Nikola Tesla (1856–1943) emigrated to the United States from his native Croatia in 1884 to work for Thomas Edison. He contributed to the development of the alternating-current electrical system, which made the universal transmission and distribution of electricity possible. George Westinghouse purchased the patents to Tesla's induction motor and made it the basis of the Westinghouse power system, which underlies the modern electrical power industry.