Nikola Tesla was born at midnight on July 9th in the village of Smiljan, in the province of Lika, Croatia. His father, Reverend Milutin Tesla, was an Orthodox priest who was also a talented writer and poet. At a young age, Nikola immersed himself in his father’s library. His father wanted Nikola to join the priesthood, but his interests lay entirely in science and engineering. When Nikola was only seven years old, his older brother, Dane, was killed by their horse. The Arabian horse had been donated to their father by the local Muslim community. Nikola was present during his brother’s accident; Tesla was his father’s favorite, and he never recovered from the loss.
