Talk:Nikola Tesla/Archive 7

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Wow!

I got to know a bit about this guy only because I happened to live for several years around the corner from the site of his old lab in Shoreham, NY. When I first saw the place in 1974, White's gorgeous architecture was still visible. Before long, it was hidden behind a hideous corrugated metal facade and a shiny barbed-wire and chain-link fence, and most of the beautiful old trees were replaced by a parking lot. A few local residents had become fascinated with Tesla, and as you probably know if you're reading this, that can quickly slide into all-consuming obsession. My own interest in Tesla was only intermittently obsessive. I think everyone involved in the creation and evolution of this article deserves congratulations - it's amazing you all have managed to make this much sense out of such a mind-boggling subject!

One bit of interesting trivia: The Shoreham-Wading River library contained a book called Wasn't The Future Wonderful? - a collection of articles, reproducing the original pages, from futuristic pop-science pulp magazines mainly from the 1930s. I came across it around 1979, when it was just beginning to look as if the Shoreham Nuclear Power Station project might never reach completion. One of the articles was an interview with Tesla, dating from the early 1940s, in which he expressed the view that nuclear energy would never be harnessed. In fact, he may have believed there was no such thing! Perhaps it was his ghost that jinxed the Shoreham plant, whose history seemed to prove his point.

possible plagarism

I'm not certain if this is being or already has been addressed, but I've noticed that several portions of the this article are word-for-word matches with the Tesla page at supernaturalminds.com/NikolaTesla.html . Just wanted to make people aware of this.

Based on the age of the site, it looks like the copy/pasting happened the other way around, that site took info from this one. That is OK, but he should really be displaying the GFDL licence info... Phidauex 18:19, 3 July 2006 (UTC)

invented the 20th century

Ok, I am not a Tesla expert but the quote "Many contemporary admirers of Tesla have deemed him the man who invented the twentieth century." seems a little over the top. It would sound better if it was a specific person for example "Lisa Simpson nobel laureate has said Tesla invented the twentieth century." There seems to be a bunch of strong feelings about this article so I didn't want to change anything out of hand. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.231.43.78 (talk • contribs)

Lomas titled a Lecture to South Western Branch of Instititute of Physics, "The Man who Invented the Twentieth Century". 134.193.168.252

Any romantic relationships?

Noone ever mentioned any single relationship of Tesla with a woman, at least when he was young. All I know of this subject is an anegdote saying: "Once on a party a woman, a great admiror of Tesla's work, approached him and asked if she could meet him and he said: "I'm sorry, my wife electra would be very jelaous of that." Or it went something like that. Who knows what he and Mark Twain were doing in his lab during late night? Image:Happyjoe.jpg —Preceding unsigned comment added by Aljosa (talk • contribs)

Tesla was a sought out by the ladies of high society. He did have very close relations with some women (the wife of one of his friend may have been a non-physical love). He though turned many young girl away, following the life of invention and the research of electricity (which he believed that he could not do to the fullest in the married life). He was not homosexual though, as you imply. Cheney, a biographer of his, in the documentry on his life insuinated that he may have impaired his manhood though (after a hot french actress kept bugging him). That is speculation though. 134.193.168.252

I didn't mean to imply that he was homosexual, it was more a joke. Wikipedians are often pretty stiff :) I think that wikipedia article on Tesla is pretty good and is trying to cover all aspects of his life but it can't really be complete without covering romantic aspect of his life/personality. So that's why I started this section - to find out more about this rather important part of life and to put at least one sentence about that in the article. Tesla was obviously in control of all biological needs of his body (e.g. strictly calculated diet).—Preceding unsigned comment added by Aljosa (talk • contribs)

He was an obsessive-compulsive anti-social recluse, I doubt that he ever dated anyone. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Cold water (talk • contribs)

Howard Hughes was far quirkier and more OCD than Tesla, but was married, had mistresses, and reportedly had as lovers Katharine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Gene Tierney, and Ava Gardner.Edison 15:00, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

Marc Seifer in his book "Wizard: the life and times of Nikola Tesla" says p18 that after Tesla dropped out of Technical University Graz in his junior year, he met "Anna" in his father's church and "fell in love." They went for walks etc. Then he started his undergrad studies afresh at Prague and she married someone else. Seifer cites Dragislav Petrovich, "A visit to Nikola Tesla" Politika, April 27, 1927, p4.

Protected

Please find a compromize solution on the talk page and then let me know when you are ready for the page to be unprotected abakharev 06:20, 17 July 2006 (UTC)

AD 9289:

"Mommy, what are Croatians and Serbians?"
"GalNet says that they were a couple of primitive tribes of Terra homo sapiens on Old Earth. Like most others at that time, the people of those tribes were conditioned from birth to believe that their 'country' (whatever that was) was important. Remember, we're going for your GalNet implant tomorrow; you can think about all of this stuff youself, much faster than I can tell you about it."

There sure are a lot of people nitpicking about things that most would consider, well, unimportant.

You folks aren't, er, prejudiced, are you? I thought most people had gotten past that by now.

I don't see any mention of what his skin color is, why should anyone care about his nationality?

--Scott McNay 06:44, 17 July 2006 (UTC)

Scott, do you care if someone cals you an Afghan, rather than American? Imagine that in 50 years, you are remembered as an Afghan. I mean, I'll just start calling you Afghan right now, according to you, it wouldn't matter. --KOCOBO 20:58, 17 July 2006 (UTC)
The issue is not what he is (or I am) but rather what is written. If can't agree, then just leave it out, and put an HTML comment in so that people will leave it alone, or simply say "disputed". --Scott McNay 08:14, 30 July 2006 (UTC)

Compromises

How about Ethnically Serb, Croatian-born, American engineer, or In Serbia he is considered Serb, in Croatia Croat and in the USA - American, or just remove all the ethnic labels from the lead all together. Both place of birth and the religion are seen in the first paragraph of bio. abakharev 06:51, 17 July 2006 (UTC)

On June 1st 1892, Tesla arrived in Belgrade due to a call for assistance from the Belgrade municipality. Several thousand people were there to greet him at the Belgrade train station. He addressed the gathered crowd, who saluted him:
"There is something within me that might be illusion as it is often case with young delighted people, but if I would be fortunate to achieve some of my ideals, it would be on the behalf of the whole of humanity. If those hopes would become fulfilled, the most exiting thought would be that it is a deed of a Serb. Long live Serbdom!..." Tesla further said to the students of Belgrade University: "As you can see and hear, I have remained a Serb overseas where I have done some researches. You should do so and by your knowledge and hard work you should glorify Serbdom over the world." [1]
I don't think it matters if Serbia considers him a Serb or what not, when Tesla himself clearly stated what he is and always will be. By the way, Croats don't consider him a Croat, simply because there is nothing that shows he was a Croat, considering his father was a Serbian Orthodox Priest, and his mother from a famous Serb family. But don't believe me, read what the Croats did to Tesla's house and statue during the war against Serbs.
Alex, from your suggestions, I am not sure how much you know about Tesla, or even the claims some people are making here. The only solution is to put Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor,... And I reluctantly agree to the "American" part, but he did achieve his life's work in the States. Hiding the truth is not NPOV, everyone have that in mind. I think you've seen now that Tesla was a Serb, regardless of what any government or people of any country think. So, MAYBE we should write what Tesla actually said about himself. --KOCOBO 20:55, 17 July 2006 (UTC)
So far I have only heard the arguments to name him Serbian-American (in fact Brittanica did exactly this), any arguments for the Croatian part? Any reputable source naming him Croatian? abakharev 23:23, 17 July 2006 (UTC)
Since nobody argued for Tesla's Croatian heritage, I assume we have a consensus here. I will unprotect the article and revert to a "Serbian" version. Reversions back can be seen as violations of the WP:CON policy, so you better discuss them first of the talk page. abakharev 07:49, 18 July 2006 (UTC)

Tesla may have been an ethnic Serb but he had nothing to do with Serbia(I think he was once or twice in Serbia in total) thus cannot be Serbian scientist. The man was born in Croatia and consiered Croatia to be his homeland which he expressed on more than one occasion. The correct formation would be 'Croatian-American scientist of Serbian origin'. However the most liberal and fair would be to remove any mention of this at the begining of the article since the rest explains it. Also making his location of birth 'Austrian Empire(now Croatia)' is in direct collision with what the article says 'born in Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia, then part of Austrian Empire'. Afrika Paprika 11:44, 18 July 2006 (UTC)

Afrika paprika, aside from your rude reverting when the majority has clearly decided how the article should be formulated, you provide no evidence or concrete references for your claims. Why should I believe you? Why should anyone believe you, when your contributions clearly show that you are pushing Croatian POV. You keep removing well-referenced sources from other Serb-related articles like Dado Pršo (look how he keeps reverting the "ethnic Serb" part of the text), and the list goes on. This is a place where serious people come to discuss serious issues, and there is no place for nationalism here. We have all provided well-referenced sources, so please stop bothering us with your "theories" which everyone is quite sick of. Your actions are considered trolling, and to some aspects, vandalism. Thank you, --KOCOBO 21:43, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
The majority has not decided. Two people having the same opinion on the subject cannot be and is not a consensus. Thus I shall keep revereting it as long as it needs to get in your little fascist head. As for Dado Prso the man considers himself to be a Croat and has publicly stated it more than once. User:Afrika Paprika 01:52, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
Oh, oh, since when do you care what the actual person in the article declared about himself? No, evidence, no proof of your claims, this is the policy of Wikipedia. --KOCOBO 00:59, 19 July 2006 (UTC)


I do care actually as all my changes can be confirmed. Unlike you who are pushing for a nationalistic propaganda. --User:Afrika Paprika 16:15, 19 July 2006 (UTC)

I have zero axe to grind, since I am of no Serbian or Croatian ancestry. Did Tesla ever call himself Serbian? Sure. And on his patent application for the induction motor, he referred to himself as: "I, Nikola Tesla, a subject of the Emperor of Austria, from Smiljan, Lika, border country of Austria Hungary." Yet it seems undeniable that Smiljan is now in Croatia. It appears to have been in a Croatian kingdom at the time, but Tesla's parents were undeniably ethnic Serbs. He should be listed as Croatian-born "Serbian-American" with some mention of the Austro-Hungarian empire. Balkan politics is complicated! He was ethnically Serb and he became a US citizen. Otherwise provide a verifiable source where Tesla said he was Croatian, not Serbian. I can show many where he was described as Serbian (or Servian in the spelling of that era). One newspaper artical even called him Montenegran! Edison 23:32, 24 July 2006 (UTC)

Tone it down please: POV tag added

This article needs some serious toning down, so I have added a POV tag. Compare the bombastic introduction with the relatively modest phrasing in the Albert Einstein article. Personally after reading such an introduction, I am reluctant to take the rest of the article seriously. However the parts I looked at seemed to be good, and that introduction is doing the subject a disservice. Chicheley 00:24, 19 July 2006 (UTC)

With all due respect, his ethnicity is quite clear to everyone, and I have cited my sources. Only one user claims that this is not true, even though he has not shown a single piece of evidence. This is not reason enough to put a POV tag, and I have removed it. Instead, I would advise Afrika Paprika from being the only one that claims that Tesla was not a Serb. --KOCOBO 00:57, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
Nobody disputes him being a Serb, but it seams to me that you insist on not allowing appearance of any mentioning of Croatia in his introduction. I'm prepared to add his ethicity myself every time I see it removed, IF ALL the data about his birth are present. If not, to cut down disputes it's better to remove such references completely! I'm glad that you don't insist anymore on that obviously nationalistic propaganda article as refference in introduction... I consider it as a great progress, and there still might be some hope for this article!-- Vladimirko 01:12, 19 July 2006 (UTC)

Haha, you people are just funny :) Croatians and serbians are together trying to get to a consensus on a topic like Tesla's nationality. That's soo not gonna happen. You don't see that you're not just subjective on the matter but prejudiced (pristrani). Therefore I recommend that all ex-Yugoslavians shouldn't be let to decide the "truth" on the matter. We need a body that would check ONLY the facts, with no prejudicies and hotheads included. Something like a Hague Tribunal on Wikipedia. I know it's somewhat against the Wikipedia rules, but Wikipedia doesn't know croatians and serbians :)


Tesla was Serbian, he is sometimes referred to as Serbian-American

And here are the references to prove that:

  • The Serbian-American inventor, electrical engineer, and scientist [2]
  • His father Milutin, and his mother Djuka, were both Serbian by origin [3]
  • On June 1st 1892, Tesla arrived in Belgrade due to a call for assistance from the Belgrade municipality. Several thousand people were there to greet him at the Belgrade train station. He addressed the gathered crowd, who saluted him: "There is something within me that might be illusion as it is often case with young delighted people, but if I would be fortunate to achieve some of my ideals, it would be on the behalf of the whole of humanity. If those hopes would become fulfilled, the most exiting thought would be that it is a deed of a Serb. Long live Serbdom!..." Tesla further said to the students of Belgrade University: "As you can see and hear, I have remained a Serb overseas where I have done some researches. You should do so and by your knowledge and hard work you should glorify Serbdom over the world." [4]
  • Serbian/American Inventor [5]
  • Serbian-born inventor Nikola Tesla [6]
  • Nikola Tesla, Serbian-American inventor [7]
  • US (Serbian-born) electrical inventor [8]
  • He was of Serb descent and worked mostly in the United States [9]
  • Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American scientist [10]
  • Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, electrical engineer, and scientist [11]
  • Nikola Tesla was a Serbian inventor and scientist [12]
  • Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor and engineer and a master of electricity [13]
  • Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) was a Serbian-American inventor [14]
  • A Serbian-American physicist and electrical engineer [15]
  • Nikola Tesla was a Serbian by birth [16]
  • Nikola Tesla was a Serbian born inventor [17]
  • The Serbian-American inventor, electrical engineer, and scientist [18]
  • Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-born American scientist and his archive was brought to Belgrade after his death in New York in 1943. [19]
  • Nikola Tesla, was a Serbian electrical engineer [20]
  • Nikola Tesla was a Serbian inventor [21]
  • Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor/electrical engineer [22]
  • Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American scientist, electrical engineer, and inventor [23]
  • Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, electrical engineer, and scientist [24]
  • ...this great Serb American. [25]
  • Dr. Nikola Tesla, was a Serb [26]
  • Nikola Tesla was a Serb [27]

I'd like to add that every website mentions this at the very beginning. I'd also like to add that searching "Nikola Tesla was a Croat" returned 2 results (both of them blogs), while "Nikola Tesla was a Croatian" returned an amazing 4 results, and all of those websites confirm that Tesla was Serbian, but born in what is today considered Croatia. Almost all of the websites also cite that he was born in Austria-Hungary, while a mere some mention that the city he was born in is in todays Croatia, which definately doesn't make him Croatian. So, don't believe me, look at the tons of references I just gave you in the above list. Thank you :) --KOCOBO 01:38, 19 July 2006 (UTC)

P.S. there is no doubt that Tesla was born in Austria-Hungary, and his birth certificate proves it. Imagine that New Haven, Connecticut, USA (place where Bush was born) becomes Canada in 40 years. Was George W. Bush born in Canada? --KOCOBO 01:44, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
All the articles you linked here talk about his ethnic origin, which is not disputed. The man was a Serb and openly declared as such though once when they asked him wheter he is a Croat or a Serbs said "it's the same thing in Lika". In any case what I am trying to say and was saying is that the man was ethnically a Serb, but was Croatian scientist as he was born in Croatia(which was part of Habsburg Monarchy) and both openly declared by him more than once. Thus he cannot be only "Serbian-American" or "Croatian-American", he can only be "Serbian-Croatian-America" scientist or none at all(meaning not mentioning this since the article already talks about it. -- User:Afrika Paprika 16:21, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
Article aboutNikola Tesla is not propaganda article, and try to keep it so! As it may not seam at first glance, but Serbian propaganda machinery is pretty well developed in the world. I.e.

1. You may find claims that Dubrovnik was in Serbia, although it NEVER WAS, but you'll hardly find the fact that what's now suburbs of Belgrade WAS a part of Croatia few times in history... 2. Vojvodina less then 30 years ago had Hungarian and Croatian majority, and although ethnical clensing was never proclaimed it occured, as also in Republika Srpska territories in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where less then 10% of croats and muslims returned to thier homes! 3. And just BTW, Miloš Obilić, supposedly Serbian hero on Kosovo, came from catholic family, and Croat village of Kobilići (that existed long before the Serbs fled through from Turks) from central Bosnia, and is ancestor of som Croat Milošević families near Sarajevo and Kiseljak! I knew a person who was direct descendent of him, who claimed it in Belgrade's center in SANU ... those facts Great Serbian propagandist will never admit, and there is just too much of them! 4. Croatia after death of King Petar (Svačić) joined in personal union with Hungary, afterwards, Croat and Hungarian nobility offered joined crown to Habsburgs. Through all that time Croatia newer lost it's statehood, although their rights were diminished after killings os several members of Croatian nobility and Austro-Hungarian treaty afterwards... Through most of that time Serbia was a municipality within "Ottoman empire"... So, Croatia existed at that time as Kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia in union with Kingdom of Dalmatia under supreme governmant of Habsburgs. It was recognised even by Hungarians during Austro-Hungarian Empire (just look at their coat of arms from that time or lookup on their parliament building in Budapest)... So, If you're born i.e. in Novi Sad, and the state on birth certificate is Yougoslavia, does it mean that you were not born in Serbia, does that mean that you were not born in Vojvodina? Or, if you were born in Priština, is it Kosovo, Serbia, was it in Yougoslavia?-- Vladimirko 14:14, 19 July 2006 (UTC)

First, some due disclosure. I'm not Serbian, or Croatian, or Austrian. I was not paid 100$ by a member of the Serbian Propaganda Machine in a dark coat.
Next, my points...
1) -American belongs in the name. Tesla did most of his work in America, and was an American citizen. He died in America, and his funeral was in America. (though his remains now rest in Belgrade).
2) The first part of a Whatever-American's ethic identify typically involves the individual's ethinic affiliation. Typically NOT the birthplace's political status at the time of birth, or the current political status. Thats why we have Irish-Americans, instead of Great British-Americans. It is also why we have Ukrainian-Americans, not Soviet-Americans. If Telsa identified himself as an ethnic Serb, as it seems he did, then he would be Serbian-American. Ethnicity/origin-citizenship.
3)It should be noted that he was born in what was then the Austrian-Hungarian empire, and what is now Croatia, but that doesn't make him Croatian, or Austrian, or Hungarian, unless he said, and felt, that he aligned himself with any of those groups.
4)This argument is all pretty silly... Perhaps its just my impression, as someone who is an ethnic product of numerous people coming to the US from several continents, and people who were already here, that I don't feel like I identify specifically with any of them. It seems like there are a lot of groups that want so badly to OWN Tesla, that this has gotten more complex than it should be. If I were a famous scientist, my article would have to say, German-Irish-Thai-African-Native-American Scientist to satisfy everyone. Phidauex 16:54, 20 July 2006 (UTC)
Nice Statement Phidauex - but the Tesla Case, as an South Slav Case is special in its own, thats because of History .. See .. As for Yugoslavia - everyone born in former Yugoslavia was first Yugoslavian - and then serb, croat, slowenian or what ever. But all this doesnt matter in the Tesla Case. Because Tesla was born before the SFRJ. As for that - It doesnt matter, where one was born in the Countries of Former Yugoslavia - Everyone knew, what Ethnic he falls into. Today for example, there are many Croatians living in Serbia - most of them in Vojvodina, born there many years ago. But they are still Croats - The same Thing with Serbs born and living in Croatia today - or in Slovenia or wherever. The Paradadoxon that we have with Tesla is, that we don't believe in his own Words. I read lots about him - and he never ever declared himself being a Croat - but often stating of being proud to be Serb -> This doesnt mean he was a Nationalist - You see, the former Croatia as we know it today, was Part of the Austro-Hungarians with a very Big Majority of Serbs living in the Krajina - which was a Military Zone once nearly becoming its own Autonomic Part, populated mostly by Serbs - as they settled there to defend against the Osmanians. Those People, like Teslas Family, lived in Serbian Villages or Communities - maintaining and living the Serbian Culture and visiting Seriban-Orthodox Churches regularly - which is very important (heres the only small similarity to the U.S., as there are many irish or italian people f.e. - living in own hoods - and living the way they ethnically belong to), as Teslas Father was an Serbian-Orthodox Priest and his Mother also born into a Family of Serbian Theologists. As for the Ethicity-Struggle we have today - back in this Time - People knew very well, who or what every single People was - without any doubts - unlike we are confronting it today. So even calling him a Croatian Scientist is ludicrous - As he never worked as an Scientist in Croatia or being teached there in Electromechanics or whatever. Sure, he sympathized with the Yugoslavian Idea - the Idea of every South Slav, living Peacful together - but this doesnt makes him a Croat or a Croatian Scientist, expecially integrating the Fact that many Croatians never sympathized with the Yugoslavian Idea and many Croatians and Serbians, living in Croatia past Times, gazed on each other with a wry look. As the Ethnic-Conflict or small Struggles, we still have today, are more complex in Former Yugoslav Countries than in every other Country Worldwide - we have to look back very deep into History, to find the correct answers - instead of contrieving our own Stories to make him something he never was - yet some people are not able, to believe in his own words.

Cheers

Afrika Paprika and some other (Croatian?) members keep deleting the Serbian reference about Tesla, he was so much proud of. This won't pass. I invite them to explain their frustrations here, instead of deleting facts from the article, since it is qualified as vandalism. Marechiel 16:15, 24 July 2006 (UTC)

Actually I deleted nothing at first, I only added the fact he is also Croatian as much as he is Serbian. He was equally proud of being a Serb and being from Croatia, that has been openly stated by Tesla himself on more than one occasion. However after my addition of the fact he was and is also Croatian scientist certain memebers started removing that, thus the only compromise is to remove any mention of his nationality and ethnicity altogether at the begining of the article since the article clearly explains it further down. I am only deleting what is definately not a fact but real vandalism and revisonism.Afrika Paprikal 01:12, 25 July 2006 (UTC)

Afrika: Would you please provide a verifiable source for your statement that"He was equally proud of being a Serb and being from Croatia, that has been openly stated by Tesla himself on more than one occasion." I have read a fair amount of Tesla writings recently and have not seen such a statement, but I cannot prove a negative. It is for you to demonstrate where he said he was proud to be from Croatia. I do not deny it, but a verifiable source would end a lot of ethnic-pride bickering.Edison 23:39, 24 July 2006 (UTC)

What is "verifiable source" for you? Something that has been published on the internet? In May 25th 1936 Vlatko Maček(leader of the Croatian opposition in K.of Yugoslavia) in a telegram to Tesla: "To the great son of Serbian people and his homeland Croatia, leader of manking in their struggle with nature we congratulate in the name of Croatian people"; Nikola Tesla answers: "Thank you for your much appreciated congratulations and honours. I am equally proud of Serbian origin and my Croatian homeland. Long live all Yugoslavs!" In 1892 during his visit to Zagreb he had a lecture on AC electricity said: "I consider my duty that as born son of my land help the city of Zagreb in every advice and act". --Afrika Paprika
It is easy to show that Tesla, as a Serbian patriot and supporter of integral Yugoslavism (which was to melt all Yugoslav peoples into one, Yugoslav, nation) and King Alexander, whenever he spoke of Croatia, he viewed it as part of Yugoslavian state and a state of both Serbs and Croats, what Croatia used to be. He spoke of it more as a region than as a state, which can be shown in his speeches and articles about Kingdom Yugoslavia, where he agitated for its centralization, and against any secession. Modern Croatia is a national, exclusively Croat state, where Serbs were literally thrown out of Constitution, and where Tesla's compatriots today make less than 4% of population (what used to be up to 30%) as a result of 20th century ethnic wars.
Today Croatia agitates against for everything Tesla fought for: centralized Yugoslavian Balkan state and the ideas that Serbs and Croats were one people of identical race, language and tradition. Croatia of today is not the Serbo-Croatian Yugoslav Croatia Tesla spoke of, and it couldn't be clearer. The only time Tesla ever lived to see an independent Croatian state was during WWII, when he openly supported young Yugoslavian King Peter II and his Chetnik army, who fought against Croatia and for the re-establishment of united Yugoslavia.
His courteous reply to Macek (which was, by the way, private), especially with the ending exclamation Long live Yugoslavs! does not change a thing about his opinion towards Yugoslavia, his homeland. As if an African-American living in Pennsylvania said he was proud of his Pennsylvanian homeland, and in 50 years Pennsylvania declares its independence from the U.S.A., and leads a 5-year long racist civil war after which all blacks are expelled from the state, and thrown out of Constitution. The original statement couldn't be used anymore with the same meaning, could it? Marechiel 11:44, 25 July 2006 (UTC)
I suggest you leave the politics out of this. It is also clear that after being proven wrong you are now trying to dispute this fact by some trivial rant. The fact is - Tesla considered Croatia to be his homeland and said it more than once(as I have cited). Afrika paprika
No, he didn't. Read carefully the text above, and when you have finished, read it again. You can't use one single courteous personal note to shade his opinion made in public. Tesla considered Yugoslavia his homeland, and was against any kind of secession of Croatia from it (Tesla: Tribute to King Alexander. According to his wish, in the time WWII was waged in his conquered Yugoslavian homeland, the sounds of Tamo Daleko song played on his funeral (with the leading repeating verses: There's my village, there's Serbia ). (And please, stop insulting and deleting his Serbian reference, Tesla wouldn't like it - If I were happy enough to realize at least some of my ideas, they would benefit the whole mankind. If my hopes were to be fulfilled, my sweetest thought would be that it had been the work of a Serb). Marechiel 22:02, 25 July 2006 (UTC)

Nikola Tesla was SERBIAN! Not SERBIAN - AMERICAN. But SERBIAN! I don't care if he had USA citizenship, he went there when he was 28. He couldn’t even speak the freaking language at the time. He was born in Serbian Orthodox family, and grew up in Balkans. He only went in USA because he had conditions to work there, AND THAT IS IT!

Tesla was ethnic Serbian USA citizen, therefore Serbian-American. Stating "Serbian" would imply that he was either Serbian citizen, or that he lived and worked in Serbia, which he did not and was not. He indeed does belong to Serbia and Serbs all and everywhere, but he was also an American and American patriot. Tesla was Serbian-American, and nothing can change that, neither ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, nor anyone's emotions and/or stubborness. Tesla was Serbian-American. Marechiel 13:57, 28 July 2006 (UTC)
Tesla became USA citizen when he was like 30 or something. That DOES NOT make him a freaking American. How can someone be American, when he didn’t even know how to speak English at 28.!
Being Serbian, means that he was an ethnic Serb, AND THAT’S IT He was born and grew up in today’s Croatia, then an Austrian-Empire. If the Austrian-Empire existed today, you could say that he was Serbian-Austrian. Since that country doesn’t exist anymore, he is Serbian and Serbian only.
And you say "he was also an American and American patriot". How the hell do you know that he was American Patriot? You worked with him or something so you know that?
I’m saying it again; he can NOT be American, if he went there when he was 28.! He only went in USA because he had conditions to work there. Being American means that he was born in America, or at least that he grew up there, or that he was “ethnic American”, but since being an “ethnic American” doesn’t exist, he is not an American!
Who owes a scientist? This can be established by its ethnicity or place of origin or place of work.
Unless Wikipedia is Serbian property it would be only correct to say that Tesla was Serbian/Croatian/American inventor. Pygmalion
The Wikipedia Manual of Style says to refer to people as they refered to themselves. Since Tesla considered himself Serbian, he should be refered to as "Serbian" in this article. Case closed. For the record I am neither Serbian nor Croatian, nor do I give a flying flip about either. Kaldari 16:33, 11 September 2006 (UTC)


He cannot be called Croatian because he replied to Macek in a nice way and because it is the policy of Croatia today. It is isimly not enough. Ban Jelacic was born in Serbia (Austria at the time) and had great relations with Serbian people and opted for Yugoslavia. How would Croatians feel if the page on Jelacic started with " Ban Jelacic was born in Serbia and considered it his homeland"????