My Inventions Nikola Tesla's Autobiography At the age of 63 Tesla the story of his life. First published in 1919 in the Electrical Experimenter magazine Table of Contents I. My Early Life II. My First Efforts At Invention III. My Later Endeavors IV. The Discovery of the Tesla Coil and Transformer V. The Magnifying Transmitter VI. The Art of Telautomatics Nikola Tesla (Serbian Cyrillic: N ko a Tec a; 10 July 1856 - 7 January 1943) was a Serbian American inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, and futurist best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system. Tesla was renowned for his achievements and showmanship, eventually earning him a reputation in popular culture as an archetypal "mad scientist." His patents earned him a considerable amount of money, much of which was used to finance his own projects with varying degrees of success. He lived most of his life in a series of New York hotels, through his retirement.