Nikola Tesla, likely the most well known Serbian American of recent age, was a brilliant mind with a personality to match. Often seen as the embodiment of taking life on your own terms he gained knowledge in engineering and physics and built himself considerable wealth with the help of his alternating current induction motor. Tesla was known as a very personable man which drew people of wealth and fame to him. Alas money, you will find, does not last forever and Tesla did not have enough marketable inventions to sustain. Sometimes, you can have all the intellect in the world, ideas for the ages, and sadly a lack of money can stop you in your tracks.

Granville T. Woods is, so far, the holder of the most patents for an African American inventor. Proving that you can succeed even when self taught he applied for between fifty and sixty patents! He was granted thirty five patents for mechanical and electrical devices in just a matter of twenty three years! pretty impressive considering he got his first patent at age twenty eight. Granville T. Woods didn’t let the world tell him what he was going to achieve, he invented the future he wanted to see.

Benjamin Franklin was a man of many hats. this dude could fit in any deck from writers, to diplomats, to polymaths and more! We like to think of him first as an inventor, and not just because we needed bifocals to learn about him in the first place. Benjamin Franklin lived a very busy and colorful life. He changed not only the way we see the world but the way the world saw America in the early years when we needed him most.

Michael Faraday was the newest of butts in Newington Butts England when he was born in 1791. Faraday had an electromagnetic personality and built himself a stunning intellect. When he started out he had only the basics of an education and found his passion for electricity through reading. He also took every opportunity as they came and was able to use his connections and some small spark of luck to fuel his passion which led him to realize dreams he didn’t even know he had.

Thomas Edison is a household name around the world for his well known contributions to modern day life. Edison was a great collector of many things; books, talented people, ideas, failures, connections and patents. The over one thousand patents he acquired were the work of thousands of hours of research, experimentation, and collaboration in his many laboratories. The inventions he patented could only have come to be when a man with an electric personality and seemingly endless money finds like minds and inspires them.