Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor born on July 10, 1856. He is regarded as one of the most brilliant and innovative scientists of the 20th century. He is best known for the design of alternating current electricity supply system. Tesla was a polymath who studied engineering and physics in 1870s without receiving a degree. He gained practical experience working for Continental Edison in Paris and later when he worked for Edison Machine Works in New York City. Some of his AC inventions and patents were liscensed by Westinghouse Electric in 1888, earned him a considerable amount of money.
Starting in 1894, Tesla began investigating what he referred to as radiant or "invisible energy" which had damaged films in his laboratory. He may have inadvertently captured an x-ray image-predating, by a few weeks, Wilhelm Röntgen's December 1985 announcement of the discovery of x-rays-when he tried to photograph Mark Twain by a Geissler tube. The only thing captured in the image was a metal screw on the camera lens.
Tesla proceeded doing his own experiments in x-ray imaging by developing a high-energy single-terminal vacuum tube of his own design. Interestingly he noted the hazards of working with single-node x-ray producing devices especially the damage they caused to the skin. Although Tesla devised several experimental setups he credited Röentgen as the inventor of x-rays and radiographic imaging a major improvements in the practice of medicine.
Despite his many achievements, Tesla was not without his challenges. He struggled throughout his life as a loner, however his contributions to science and technology were undeniable, and he continued to work on his inventions until his death on January 7, 1943.
