Nikola Tesla and Expo – How the Serbian Genius Shaped International Exhibitions

Nikola Tesla, one of the greatest Serbian-American scientists, was born on this day 169 years ago. Tesla's discoveries left an indelible mark on the history of International Exhibitions, where the entire world had the opportunity to witness the power and reach of his brilliant mind.

At the 1889 World Expo in Paris, organized in honor of the centenary of the French Revolution, Nikola Tesla met with Vilhelm Bjerknes, a Norwegian physicist. Bjerknes introduced Tesla to the discovery of electromagnetic waves by Heinrich Hertz, which served as a strong foundation for his later research and groundbreaking discoveries.

The following Expo 1893 in Chicago, organized to mark the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' discovery of America, was a pivotal event due to the presentation of electricity, where Tesla first gained significant international recognition. This Expo was marked by the "War of Currents," a fierce battle between Thomas Edison’s direct current (DC) system and Tesla’s alternating current (AC) system. The organizers of the Expo chose the more efficient concept of alternating current, which signified a major victory for Tesla's ideas.

When U.S. President Grover Cleveland pressed the button at the grand opening ceremony of the exhibition, 160,000 electric bulbs were automatically lit, illuminating the entire exhibition space. This was the first time in history that a major event was entirely lit with alternating current, which left a profound impression on visitors and demonstrated its advantages.

Thus, Expo 1893 in Chicago became a turning point in the history of technology and industry. At the exhibition, Tesla also showcased his fluorescent bulbs and single-terminal bulbs, as well as his coil that produced high-frequency current. Additionally, this Serbian visionary and the Prometheus of the 20th century demonstrated the rotating magnetic field model and induction motor, including the spinning of the copper egg, known as the Egg of Columbus. All these demonstrations highlighted the superiority of his idea to use alternating current for the generation and transmission of electrical energy over long distances, which is now a standard in modern society.

Five years later, at the first exhibition on electrical apparatus at New York’s Madison Square Garden in 1898, Tesla demonstrated his famous experiment, in which he controlled the movement of a model boat remotely using radio waves. It is believed that Tesla conceived the idea for the teleautomaton, which laid the foundation for modern robotics and unmanned aerial vehicles, while playing with a toy boat on the Niagara River during the construction of the hydroelectric plant at Niagara Falls.

Reflecting on the life and work of the only Serbian whose name is found in the International System of Units ("T" for the unit of magnetic field strength), we are reminded of the significance that International Exhibitions have had in shaping the future of humankind.

To celebrate the boundless power of human innovation and creativity, Expo 2027 Belgrade invites all nations to gather in Serbia’s capital from May 15 to August 15, 2027, to contribute to the “Play for Humanity” initiative and inspire future generations to continue pushing the world forward with their ideas.