Imagine a beam of energy that could bring down planes from miles away with nothing but electricity. Imagine an invisible wall of energy protecting a country from invasion, acting as an electric fence that could vaporize enemy soldiers the second they step foot inside. 

Sounds like something most militaries would love to get their hands on, doesn’t it? The dream of this kind of “death ray” has inspired weapons developers for decades. But one brilliant inventor, Nikola Tesla, claimed to have actually created one.

Tesla was born in what is now Croatia in 1856, where he received an education in engineering before immigrating to the United States. There, he got a job working for Thomas Edison before striking out on his own as an inventor.

Many of Tesla’s inventions in this period were revolutionary. He primarily focused on improving systems for generating electric power and transmitting electric currents. In addition, he also made important innovations in the field of radio technology.