Nikola Tesla’s Life Story: How a Beautiful Mind Invented The Future
Nikola Tesla left the world at the age of 86 with more than 300 patents under his belt. Some of them included creations such as wireless power, the radio, X-ray, remote control, electric motor, the rotating magnetic field, neon lamp, and much more, which makes him one of the greatest inventors of all times.RELATED: 25 Nikola Tesla Quotes to Become the Inventor of Your DreamsHis life story is by no means an ordinary one, and below you’re going to read about his most important events and turning points. From being a boy different than anyone else and being fascinated by electricity, to having his biggest rival in the face of Thomas Edison and getting his ideas stolen, let’s dive into the life of Nikola Tesla.Nikola Tesla' Life and Career Began With a StormBorn on July 10, 1856, in Smiljan, Croatia, Nikola Tesla was the fourth of five children of a priest and an inventor. What marked the birth of the Serbian-American boy was a lightning storm. Nikola Tesla attended primary school in his hometown and was introduced to subjects such as arithmetic and religion. A few years later, the family moved to a city nearby. His real education and the formation of his interests, however, began when he started high school in Karlovac.RELATED: The 7 Weirdest Facts About Elon Musk – Is He The IRL Tony Stark?As shared in his writings later in life, his fascination with electricity was born there, after he had the chance to see some demonstrations by his physics teacher. This seemed like magic to him and he wanted to know more about the power of electricity and how it worked. He graduated a year earlier before it was time to attend university."I cannot exaggerate the effect of this marvelous sight on my childish imagination. Day after day I asked myself what is electricity and found no answer. Eighty years have gone by since and I still ask the same question, unable to answer it."Another thing that made the boy special was his photographic memory. He could memorize books, images, and even 3D structures.Nikola Tesla: In the Face of deathNikola Tesla returned to his place of birth, Smiljan, and right after that - while still a teenager - he contracted cholera. He was bedridden for 9 months and almost died.After surviving, he was in need of a change and some spiritual growth, so instead of joining the army, he ran away to explore the mountains in his country and read a lot of books. According to him, this experience helped him recover completely, both physically and emotionally.The Technical University of Graz marked the next stage of his life. By diving deeper into math and physics and even philosophy, his love for electricity grew. He was one of the best students, never missing a lecture and passing all his exams. He was so hard-working that his lack of rest made his professors worried and one even sent a letter to his father to warn him that Tesla’s never-ending studying might lead to burnout.In 1879 his father passed away, and that affected Nikola Tesla more than anything else before. He stopped putting any effort into school-related activities, and instead of focusing on education, he chose gambling. That led to losing big amounts of money, including his tuition fee, and - ultimately - never graduating.Why Tesla Immigrated to the US and Met Edison His first job was in Budapest, where he worked as an electrical engineer. The telephone company wasn’t doing well back then, but was about to change a few months later. Nikola Tesla contributed to the business in many ways and helped the company evolve.It is believed that at that time while walking in the park, the idea of the AC motor was born. In 1882, he moved to Paris and started working for the Continental Edison Company. During one of his sleepless nights of sweat, he had the chance to see Edison for the first time. Two years after that he moved to the States as his manager wanted Tesla with him there working at the Machine Works.RELATED: Top 20 Thomas Edison Quotes to Motivate You to Never QuitHe worked in New York for around a year and Edison was impressed with the ideas and inventions of the young man, but at the same time openly shared his belief that they were “utterly impractical.”After being offered a fortune to improve Edison’s DC -- and after getting the job done only to find out the famous investor was joking about actually paying that much -- Nikola Tesla quit and never looked back.Nikola Tesla and The War of the CurrentsTesla Electric Company was formed thanks to the financial support of 2 men Nikola Tesla met, who had experience not just in running companies, but also knowing how to advertise inventions and get their investments back. The first laboratory of the inventor was opened right there in Manhattan, where he just recently worked in Edison’s headquarters.The rivalry between Edison and Tesla existed for years, though, and even became known as “The War of the Currents”. Tesla eventually won the war and helped bring electricity to the US. That happened as a result of his collaboration with George Westinghouse, an industrialist and inventor who noticed the brilliant mind of Tesla after reading one of his papers.Tesla on Business and Relationships Years later Nikola Tesla demonstrated radio transmission, but his laboratory was destroyed after a fire -- while he was preparing the first real radio signal.Guglielmo Marconi, an inventor and electrical engineer from Italy, took his idea and used the same technology. The invention of the radio was credited to him. Not just that, but he also won a Nobel Prize for it in 1909. What upset Tesla even more was that the whole project was sponsored by Thomas Edison.RELATED: 15 Benjamin Franklin Quotes to Make You WiserThat turned into a court battle. Unfortunately, the truth came just after the death of Nikola Tesla when the US Supreme Court admitted the patent for the radio was originally Tesla’s idea.Tesla never married. He had another affection, though. That for pigeons. He fed them all the time during his walks in the park. There was one pigeon in particular that he considered special, and even said he loved him as a man loves a woman.Lessons from Nikola Tesla’s Life StoryAs unusual as Nikola Tesla was, we can’t deny all the wisdom, purpose and will that make his life story what it is. He once worked for 84 hours straight, without sleeping. That’s how passionate he was about the work he was doing. He spoke 8 languages and left the world with more than 300 patents. He admits he never cared about money, the laws of physics were his religion instead. The great inventor believes in doing our best in order to create a better future.
Colonel Sanders’ Life Story: How KFC's Founder Got Rich Off a Secret Blend of 11 Herbs and Spices
We all know about KFC, the fast food chain that made the whole world fall in love with its recipe for fried chicken. Despite its ups and downs over the decades, it has remained one of the most popular restaurant chains in the US. Yet, little is known about its founder, Colonel Sanders.He isn’t the average entrepreneurial success story. There was a lot going on before he considered himself successful. It all began by selling fried chicken from a roadside restaurant in Kentucky when he saw the interest in this type of business. Up until that point, however, there were plenty of challenges in his life.Born into poverty, losing his father, working from a young age, and jumping from career to career, were all moments that shaped the future king of fried chicken. These moments led him to enter the fast food industry, run a service station at the age of 40, and then perfect his special recipe over the next decade. His early and later life is inspiring, and we can all learn from his failures and successes. So, let’s dive into the man behind the brand, Colonel Sanders, and his journey to creating the most successful fried-chicken empire the world has ever seen: Posted by GoalcastThe beginning was hardColonel Harland Sanders was born in 1890 on a farm outside Indiana. His father, a hard-working man, died when Colonel was just 5, leaving him to care for his 2 younger siblings while his mother worked to support them. The children were raised in poverty, and that meant everyone had to work from a young age. Colonel's first job was as a farmhand at the age of 10. Losing it soon after upset his mother so much so that she yelled at him for failing to impress his boss. Colonel recalls that experience as traumatic, yet that did not stop him from pursuing other jobs. The determined boy quit school so he could work full-time. By the time he was 17, he had already had plenty of jobs, such as a painter, conductor and soldier. After that, he worked as a cleaner, fireman and blacksmith. He also studied law and worked briefly as a legal counsellor, representing railroad workers who had been injured on the job. But that did not last long, and soon he was selling insurance, then Michelin tires. He knew that his career was unstable, jumping from job to job. Yet some of those jumps were because he was let go.Instead of giving up, though, that encouraged him to try harder. “One has to remember that every failure can be a stepping stone to something better.”Embracing the entrepreneur withinSix years later, he opened a gas station, where he also sold fried chicken to hungry commuters along the highway. Having cooked for his siblings growing up, he was a seasoned chef at this point, and had many delicious recipes under his belt; recipes hungry travellers were more than delighted to try. His Kentucky fried chicken, in particular, became so popular that he opened a restaurant across the street.He now had more tables to serve and the chance to treat more customers to his food. He did this for years and became known for his delicious secret blend of seasoned chicken that could not be found anywhere else. As his popularity grew, he was named a Kentucky Colonel by the state governor, an honour only a rare few received. 1009 failures later, Kentucky Fried Chicken was bornNot long after, the US started preparing for World War II. That led to fewer and fewer customers, and Colonel Sanders soon had to close the restaurant. Still, he was determined to make his recipe even more popular and decided to franchise it.“I've only had two rules: Do all you can and do it the best you can. It's the only way you ever get that feeling of accomplishing something.”He was a visionary and his journey was just beginning. He believed his next big thing was the secret blend he had created, that people already liked so much. It was his only prized possession: a fried chicken recipe made up of 11 different herbs and spices. By 50, he perfected his chicken recipe using a patented pressure fryer that reduced cooking time. He began traveling across the country, from one diner to the next, cooking and making just enough to continue doing it. He slept in the back of his car, was 60 years old, and found great pleasure in teaching customers how to make his recipe using his unique techniques.“I was sixty-six years old. I still had to make a living. I looked at my social security check of 105 dollars and decided to use that to try to franchise my chicken recipe. Folks had always liked my chicken.”It took a shocking 1009 rejections before he was given a chance. And as it usually happens in life, one chance is all we need. 1952 was the year when the “Kentucky Fried Chicken” recipe was franchised for the first time.Sales started boomingColonel saw immediate success and the company soon grew to over 600 franchised outlets. At 73, he sold KFC to investors for $2 million (which is more than 15 million today). He continued to visit KFC restaurants across the country and still remains on the logo to this day. More than a fast food chainToday, KFC is the world’s fourth-largest restaurant chain with over 20,000 locations across the globe. In Japan, it has even become a Christmas tradition.Colonel Sander’s secret chicken recipe remains safe in a vault in Louisville, Kentucky. But he was always willing to share the secret to his success. Aside from his blend, what he considers to be the foundation of creating a brand like KFC, is integrity.“I've only had two rules. Do all you can and do it the best you can. It's the only way you ever get that feeling of accomplishing something.”Colonel Sander’s life story leaves us with this:Your past does not define your future success. In fact, your childhood struggle, age, and failures can be stepping stones to a future beyond your wildest imagination. Colonel never gave up. He was in business at the age of 40 after so many misfortunes. And it wasn’t until he was 60 that he started seeing some recognition and progress. His success came about during a period when many retire. But with determination, passion, and vision, he conquered the world.
Ed Sheeran's Life Story: How a Bullied Ginger Boy Became Britain’s Biggest Music Success
Ever wonder how Ed Sheeran's life story goes like? Well, he - like many of us - didn’t have it easy. Dealing with his fair share of struggles from bullying, to inner battles, insecurity and shame, to becoming an award-winning singer, Ed Sheeran's story shows how the artist learned to embrace his uniqueness and overcame his challenges in order to bring us one of the most beautiful voices of our time.The English singer, songwriter, and guitarist is loved by young and old everywhere across the world. His voice gathers people together, even those who usually don’t prefer this type of music. He appeared on stage as a shy ginger boy, but instantly won the hearts of everyone listening. And that was just the beginning. Let’s take a closer look at the struggles and wins of pop superstar Ed Sheeran.Music was his first loveEdward Christopher Sheeran was born in February 1991 in Halifax, England. He had one older brother and his parents were running an art consultancy at the time.While he struggled with socializing in school, he had an interest in music from a very young age. He became part of a church choir at 4 and soon started playing the guitar. At 11 he was already writing songs, which was inspired by a backstage chat with Damien Rice. Not only was his love for music obvious, but also his talent started being noticed by others around him.“It was my love for the guitar that first got me into music and singing.”The good and the bad of being a gingerEd Sheeran was bullied every day at school, mainly for his stutter and oversized glasses. As a kid, he had a surgery that went wrong and left him with a lazy eye and severe speech problems. Whenever he tried speaking up in class, his mouth would freeze and no word would come out. Other kids were mocking him about this. Soon, he stopped participating and raising his hand at all.Surprisingly, that wasn’t the case when it came to singing and making music. He enjoyed singing in the local church and shares that playing the guitar in his room was the only time he felt in control.His red hair wasn’t helping him with his image in school, of course. However, he realized early on that while ginger men aren’t attractive, they do need to count on taking action if they want to make something happen. In addition, he shares it’s what saved him as a musician.“Being ginger can seem like a bad thing when you are young but as a musician it has been my saving grace – because if you see a ginger kid on TV and there is only one messy-haired ginger kid who plays guitar, it is very easy to find them on YouTube." The start of a career in musicSpeech therapy wasn’t going well and one of his biggest fears was that he’ll be like that for the rest of his life. But things changed when one day his dad brought him Eminem’s record. Ed Sheeran was amazed by how fast the singer was rapping. This inspired him and he learned every word by the time he was 10.He began writing more of his own music, and suddenly his stutter was gone. You can listen to him openly share his experience in this powerful speech: [embedyt] [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTufwCG8Xeg[/embedyt] expand=1 site_id=26461365]Ed knew music was his calling and he had to do something about it. So in addition to playing the guitar and writing songs, he started performing in different venues. Soon he had 12 shows in a week. That continued for four years, and not long after he was already recording CDs and selling them.At the age of 14, Ed Sheeran took his guitar, packed some clothes, and headed to London to officially start his music career and see where it can take him.When life gets tough…Being on the road was far from easy. He shares that when he couldn’t find a couch for the night, he had to sleep in parks or in the subway. He had some nights when he didn’t have any money for food and was often on the verge of giving up. But he didn’t.In London, he was playing in small venues, producing more of his own music, releasing albums, auditioning and doing collaborations with singers he met along the way. He played in more than 300 shows in 2009 alone. Social media comes inThe big leap was in 2010, and while it wouldn’t be possible without the hard work and everything Ed Sheeran had done so far, social media made the success of the boy happen faster. Not many singers were leveraging the potential of social media channels at the time, but Ed Sheeran quickly spotted (and leveraged) their potential. He was posting his videos online, and one of them was noticed by the rapper Example, who liked his style so much that he invited him to tour together.That helped him grow his online presence more and more, and people across the world started tuning in to his YouTube videos. Soon the media started paying attention to the ginger boy with the guitar and the amazing voice, and some big names and newspapers started mentioning him.That allowed Ed Sheeran to start dreaming bigger. He knew that if he wanted to see progress, he had to move to America.Jamie Foxx, Taylor Swift, and moreHe arrived in LA without a recording contract or a place to stay. He began sending out his music to anyone he could reach out to, but received no answers. Until one day, while on the show of a local radio host, he was brought to the stage. Terrified, he started playing. 12 minutes later, he got a standing ovation. The host’s name was Jamie Foxx, who was so impressed that he let Ed Sheeran use his recording studio. Not just that, but he also let the boy crash on his couch for a few weeks.After hitting #2 on iTunes with a new release, Ed was invited to work with Atlantic Records. With their help, he created his label debut studio album “+”. It immediately sold 102,000 copies and later that year became the second best-selling debut album in the UK. A year after the release of “+”, it had already sold more than a million copies.After this instant hit, he collaborated with One Direction and Taylor Swift. Another one of his songs, “I See Fire”, was used in the movie The Hobbit.His next album, “x”, including some of his biggest hits, came out in 2014, and went straight to #1 in the US and UK. Thanks to one of them, in 2016 he won the Grammy Award for Best Song of The Year.Being weird is a wonderful thingEd Sheeran’s life story is one of the modern inspiring tales that can bring back the hope in the starving artist and the unpopular kid. He likes to remember the fact that one of the coolest kids from his school later ended up being his plumber. That’s why he believes in being yourself rather than following the crowd or hiding your differences.I hope that the events in Ed Sheeran’s life so far and all that he’s been through will motivate you to do something big too. We all have it within, and we need to embrace our uniqueness, work with what we've got, and never stop trying.“When the world’s against me is when I really come alive.”
Bob Marley’s Life Story: How a Boy Rose from the Slums to Change the World with His Music
One of the best sources of inspiration are the life stories of successful entrepreneurs, leaders and famous people who achieved a lot. We like reading about them, extracting the life lessons, seeing how they started and use it for inspiration to set some big goals. But there are other people we should learn from and use as role models, who had nothing to do with business and materialism, but who lived a life worth talking about year after year. One such wise individual was Bob Marley, The King of Reggae, and you’ll now see stories from his life, how his mindset was formed over the years, what made him truly happy and how he changed the world with his music. He celebrated life although he encountered plenty of difficulties. But he used them as stepping stones to find what he loves doing, be mindful and enjoy every day, and remind others that every moment counts and we should stop complaining and begin living fully. Let’s see what Bob Marley’s life story looks like and what we can learn from it: Posted by Goalcast Early life and the birth of his unique philosophy Born on February 6, 1945, in St. Ann Parish, Jamaica, Bob Marley was the son of a white 60-year-old plantation overseer and a black 19-year-old country village girl. He lived in the slums of Jamaica in his early childhood, which usually leads to creating a mindset of blaming, negativism, revenge, hopelessness, and more. Instead, his heart was full of love, gratitude and joy. He first achieved that by using the hardships to come out stronger. The first challenge life brought him that had to do with finding his identity, was his mixed race. That even led to being bullied. His mother named him Nesta. However, the official institutions didn’t like it and changed it to Robert. He spent his first years in a rural village, but later the family moved to Kingston, Jamaica, with hopes of making a better life for themselves. There, they continued living in poverty. Bob Marley was referred to as the ‘white boy’ by locals, as his face obviously had many features of the white race. That made him feel isolated from the people there, although he wanted to be part of the community. Robert Nesta Marley decided that these events don’t necessarily need to shape who he is and what his future will look like. He accepted these roadblocks as parts of the journey, and didn’t let them cloud his vision or take control over his thoughts and peace of mind. He accepted that he’s part of 2 races, became confident about his origin, and considered himself on God’s side. He said that all this helped him develop his philosophy and that he was neither on the white man’s side, nor the black’s. Escaping poverty with the help of music Bob Marley left school quite early and became an apprentice welder. He decided it’s best for everyone if he quits, after he had suffered an injury at work. But before that, one good friend from childhood not only shared his passion for music, but inspired him to learn to play the guitar. Music was both his escape from reality -- as he shares it’s what helped him deal with the poverty surrounding him -- and his most favorite thing to do. As one of his most famous quotes goes: “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” One of Bob Marley’s main philosophies is that we should be living with free minds, and that we are the ones in charge. That if we decide to, we can free ourselves from the burden of all bad things existing in the world, and can find peace. He used music as a tool to spread his message and help people let go and feel good. His neighborhood in Kingston was also the home of some good performers. He got to know a few good names in the industry, found inspiration in the face of successful artists, and also met a producer who wanted to give him a chance. Bob then recorded a few singles that did well and marked the beginning of his music career. After meeting someone else who shared his love for music, and getting the friend that inspired him to start playing the guitar when in school, the trio began writing songs. Starting The Wailers A huge component of Bob Marley’s life story is starting his first band in 1962. It was named The Wailers as they considered themselves ghetto sufferers. At that time Bob Marley was 17 years old, and he also meets his wife, and a person he considers his mentor - Joe Higgs - who influenced his mindset and life. Soon after, Higgs begins coaching the new band and helps them with songwriting and singing. Two years later The Wailers sell more than 80,000 copies and become part of reggae history. Going Global In 1970, Bob Marley founded a record label called Tuff Gong. Later on in England, The Wailers receive their first serious contract which brought them worldwide exposure. Bob Marley’s first album is Natty Dread. At that period of his life he performs on stage with Stevie Wonder. The last show with The Wailers also happens at that time. The band disbanded in 1974, with each of the three main members pursuing a solo career. In 1975, Bob had his first international hit - “No Woman, No Cry”, 13 years after recording his first song. Political beliefs Most of Marley’s songs and live performances were an attempt to bring peace and help those in need. The profits from his collaboration with Stevie Wonder, for example, went for the Salvation Army School for the Blind. What’s considered the cornerstone of his music, though, were his strong views on religion, politics and all social issues. He was against the materialism of the Western world and the control authorities were having over people. The king of reggae wanted to encourage everyone to fight for their rights, to believe they deserve more, to never give up or trust a politician, and to unite. Of course, that was highly influenced by the fact that he lived in poverty and experienced unfairness first hand, grew up when Jamaica gained independence and was thrown into a violent civil war. Throughout his career, he wrote and sang about racism, unemployment, inequality and political violence in Jamaica and around the world. That turned him into an influential cultural icon and one of the most inspiring international artists. “Better to die fighting for freedom then be a prisoner all the days of your life.” Surviving an assassination There was an assassination attempt in 1976, and the person responsible for it was never found. Bob Marley was shot, but survived. The attack happened 2 days before he had a big concert, but that didn’t stop him from getting on stage in front of 80,000 people and doing what he does best - sharing his message with the world through his music. He was asked why he decided to play even though he was injured. His answer was this: "The people who are trying to make this world worse aren't taking a day off. How can I?" The reason for his actual death was cancer, and he refused to have treatment due to his religious principles. Things got worse during the next 4 years as the cancer spread to his brain. Bob Marley died at the age of 36 and was buried in Jamaica. His last words were: “money can’t buy life.” Lessons from Bob Marley’s life story Bob Marley’s life is an example of following your passion, turning the negative into positive, inspiring generations, having a purpose and not giving up in the face of injustice. That didn’t remain unrecognized. He was voted as one of the greatest lyricists of all time by the BBC. Rolling Stone ranked him as No.11 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. And Exodus was voted Album of the Century by Time Magazine in 1999. When he died, he left a legacy like few artists ever could. His philosophy will live on as long as his music is with us, and every new generation will hear about the Jamaican musician who started from nothing and changed the world with his art.