Final Years
For his work on the radio, Guglielmo Marconi was awarded a patent in 1904 and the Nobel Prize in 1909. Tesla, on the other hand, was forced to fund his own research and incresingly withdrew from society. After Wardenclyffe's failure, Tesla became more isolated and spent much of his time in parks, feeding and caring for pigeons. Tesla's mental stability was questioned and many viewed him as an out-of-touch "mad scientist." While misunderstood, Tesla remained brilliant.1
Tesla's favorite "white dove" |
"My enemies have been so successful in portraying me as a poet and a visionary . . .that I must put out something commercial without delay." - Nikola Tesla
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During the twilight of his life, Tesla was awarded patents for a number of revolutionary inventions, including basic radar, bladeless turbines, new aircraft, and even a death ray to "end all wars." His vision was never realized, however, during his lifetime.2
“The practical success of an idea, irrespective of its inherent merit, is dependent on the attitude of the contemporaries. If timely it is quickly adopted; if not, it is apt to fare like a sprout lured out of the ground by warm sunshine, only to be injured and retarded in its growth by the succeeding frost.”
–Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla died alone and penniless in the Hotel New Yorker on January 7, 1943. He was 86.3
