Today in History: Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla died on this day in 1943. He never did as well as his rivals (Westinghouse and Edison) but that's because he was not as ruthless. He gave the world alternating current, the radio, x-rays, the remote control, hydroelectric power and maybe even a death ray.
Also: "Throughout his life, Tesla displayed a formidable work ethic, keeping a regimented schedule. Some claim he slept only two hours a night. He often took his dinner at the same table at Delmonico’s in New York, and later at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel. He had an all-consuming fear of germs and required a stack of 18 napkins. He was obsessed with the number three, and was prone to carrying out compulsive rituals related to three. When he was young, he would develop a fit at the sight of pearls, and couldn’t bear to touch hair." Mental Floss
His legacy has developed well and there are many things named after him, such as the Tesla and Nikola vehicles, an 80's rock band, a crater on the moon, the Nikola Tesla Museum, a minor planet, and he was played by David Bowie in the 2006 movie The Prestige.
He spent his declining years living out of hotels and tending to pigeons.
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