LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commemorating the observance of the 1st Annual
Nikola Tesla Day in the State of New York on July 10, 2014

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body believes that creating a day to honor
Nikola Tesla will ensure that the State of New York and its residents
commemorate and acknowledge the endeavors, efforts and successes which
enhance the basic humanity among us all; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commem-
orate the observance of the 1st Annual Nikola Tesla Day in the State of
New York on July 10, 2014; and
WHEREAS, To give back to the State of New York, Nikola Tesla built the
Wardenclyffe laboratory and its famous transmitting tower in Shoreham,
Long Island; this huge landmark was 187 feet high, capped by a 68-foot
copper dome and was planned to be the first broadcast system, transmit-
ting both signals and power without wires to any point on the globe; and
WHEREAS, Posthumously recognized for his tremendous efforts in the
name of science and peace, Nikola Tesla was a true genius, a visionary
inventor and a gifted mechanical and electrical engineer; he was one of
the most important contributors to the birth of commercial electricity
and is best known for his many revolutionary advances in the field of
electromagnetism in the late 19th and 20th Centuries; and
WHEREAS, Nikola Tesla's patents and theoretical work formed the basis
of modern alternating current (AC) electric power systems, including the
polyphase system of electrical distribution, with which he helped usher
in a second Industrial Revolution; and
WHEREAS, Nikola Tesla was born on July 10, 1856, an ethnic Serb, in
the village of Smiljan, in modern day Croatia, then a part of the Aust-
rian Empire; his father, Milutin Tesla was a Serbian Orthodox Priest and
his mother, Djuka Mandic, was an inventor in her own right of household
appliances; and
WHEREAS, Nikola Tesla studied at the Polytechnic Institute in Graz,
Austria, and the University of Prague; at first, he intended to special-
ize in physics and mathematics, but soon became fascinated with the
science of electricity; this fascination would take him on an extraor-
dinary journey of discovery that would change the world; and
WHEREAS, In February 1882, this remarkable man of science discovered
the rotating magnetic field, a fundamental principle in physics and the
basis of nearly all devices used around the world today; and
WHEREAS, He privately built a prototype of his new induction motor and
ran it successfully; electricity today is generated, transmitted and
converted to mechanical power by means of his invention, which now
lights the entire globe; and
WHEREAS, Unable to find interest in Europe in promoting this radical
device, Nikola Tesla accepted an offer to work for Thomas Edison in New
York; upon arriving in the United States in 1884, he carried an intro-
duction letter from Charles Batchelor to Thomas Edison that said: "I
know two great men, one is you and the other is this young man"; he
would spend the next 59 years of his productive life living in New York;
and
WHEREAS, Nikola Tesla set about improving Edison's line of Direct
Current (DC) dynamos while working at his famous lab in Menlo Park, New
Jersey; he developed the highly efficient polyphase Alternating Current
(AC) system of generators, motors and transformers, and would secure 40
U.S. patents relating to its processes; and
WHEREAS, Thomas Edison did not want to lose his DC empire, and a
bitterly public War of the Currents ensued; after a difficult and

exhausting battle, Nikola Tesla with the support of George Westinghouse,
ultimately prevailed, and AC proved to be the superior technology; and
WHEREAS, In 1893, Nikola Tesla's brilliance astonished the world
through his demonstration of the wonders of alternating current elec-
tricity at the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago; two years later,
Nikola Tesla designed the first hydroelectric power plant in Niagara
Falls, which was the final victory of AC transmission and would make it
the standard power system from that time until the present day; and
WHEREAS, Though forced to shut down because of wartime security
concerns; it still exists with its 100 feet deep foundation intact;
today, Nikola Tesla's laboratory remains in good condition and is graced
with a bicentennial plaque; and
WHEREAS, A pioneer in many fields, Nikola Tesla continued to make
groundbreaking advances for the betterment of mankind; among his many
eminent inventions and discoveries include the fluorescent light, laser
beam, wireless communications, the remote control, robotics, the Tesla
coil, Tesla's turbine, and a design for a vertical takeoff aircraft; and
WHEREAS, Nikola Tesla became the father of modern electrical trans-
mission and his many inventions, including radio, will never be forgot-
ten; in his lifetime he registered over 700 patents worldwide, and his
visions of the future included satellites, interplanetary communication,
and exploration of solar energy; and
WHEREAS, This exceptional genius died in the Hotel New Yorker on Janu-
ary 7, 1943; a state funeral was held at St. John the Divine Cathedral
in New York City; telegrams of condolence were received from many nota-
bles, including the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Vice President
Henry Wallace; and
WHEREAS, Nikola Tesla has received many posthumous honors including a
commemorative stamp by the United States Postal Service, and a large
photo of himself featured in the Statue of Liberty Museum; the Nikola
Tesla Corner Sign, located at the intersection of 40th Street and 6th
Avenue in Manhattan, is a constant reminder to all New Yorkers of this
brilliant scientist and inventor; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that those who so
drastically enhanced the well-being and vitality of their world and have
shown a long and sustained commitment to excellence, certainly have
earned the recognition and applause of all the citizens of this great
Empire State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the observance of the 1st Annual Nikola Tesla Day in the
.SO DOC A R1399 RESO TEXT 2013
State of New York on July 10, 2014.