Nikola Tesla 

Inventor/Engineer (b.1856 - d.1943)

The commensurate mad scientist, Nikola Tesla is best known for his experiments and inventions in AC electricity. Born in Croatia, he worked with Thomas Edison and later set off on his own. It was not unusual for Tesla to experiment with charges of electricity arcing well over 23 feet in his laboratory. This high-voltage genius spoke eight languages and rarely slept more than two hours a night. Tesla was a loner and died in relative poverty. He carried a great passion for feeding and caring for pigeons.