Overview  Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American electrical engineer who developed many engineering designs and masterpieces that have contributed greately to our modern way of life. He emigrated to the United States in 1884 and worked briefly with Thomas Edison before creating his own research laboratory. Tesla's method of power transmition was chosen for the World Columbian Exposition in 1893, a method still used to this very day. His engineering achievements and bitter fued with Edison earned him a reputation as a brilliant eccentric.