Nikola Tesla was born on 10 July 1856, and Serbia has been celebrating his birthday as Science Day since 2011. The international scientific conference Tesla Days 2026 opened at the RTS Club, dedicated to marking the 170th anniversary of Nikola Tesla’s birth and remembering his historic 1892 visit to Belgrade.

Professor at Columbia University in New York, Gordana Vunjak Novaković, said that during her scientific career, she increasingly recognized the scale of Tesla’s genius and the significance of his discoveries. ‘When I first engaged in science, and especially since coming to Columbia twenty years ago, Nikola Tesla took on a whole new dimension for me. As an expert, I understood the scale of his genius much better, and at Columbia University there are many testimonies of his influence and importance,’ said Vunjak Novaković. Speaking about Tesla’s life, she recalled that despite numerous difficulties, the great scientist had managed to fulfil his desire to become an engineer, and that he had realized most of his revolutionary inventions after leaving for the United States in 1884. She noted in particular his exceptional ability to develop complete technical concepts and devices in his mind, without previous drawings and models, as well as his contribution to the development of alternating current, electric motors, radio technology, wireless communication and other areas that have shaped the modern world.

The founder and president of the Tesla Science Foundation, Nikola Lončar, addressed the participants directly from Philadelphia, saying that for the first time in almost two decades he was not attending the event in Serbia. He stated that this year he was engaged in projects marking the 250th anniversary of the founding of the USA, as well as the upcoming 170th anniversary of Tesla’s birth. ‘We have tasked ourselves with presenting the contribution of the Serbian people, Tesla’s people, to the building of America. This is a great challenge for an organization like ours, but we believe that it is an important job,’ said Lončar.

The President of the TSF Serbia Board of Directors, Srđan Sotirov, expressed his belief that the conference would leave a significant mark and contribute to preserving the memory of Tesla. ‘Nikola Tesla was not only a great scientist and visionary, but also an inspiration to young people, children and everyone who wants to change the world. His life and work are still a strong incentive for new generations,’ said Sotirov.

The meeting opened with an oration by Matija Bećković, and participants included the president of Matica Srpska Dragan Stanić, professors Zoran Avramović, Boško Suvajdžić, Milutin Đuričković, Vladimir Jelenković and others. The event is organized by the Tesla Science Foundation and its Serbian branch, on the occasion of marking the 170th anniversary of the birth of the great scientist and inventor, as well as the memory of his visit to Belgrade from 1 to 3 June 1892. During his lifetime, he patented about 300 inventions and made a crucial contribution to the development of electricity production and transmission systems, as well as radio technology and other areas that shaped modern civilization.

Source: Politika

Photo: A. Vasiljević