13. Nikola Tesla was not just an engineering genius but a polyglot who traveled the world, learning languages as he went
Nikola Tesla is often cited as one of the brightest minds of recent history. Small wonder, then, that the engineering genius was also a polyglot. Or, more accurately, he was a hyper-polyglot, having mastered more than five languages. While it was only to be expected that he spoke several languages and dialects – after all, he was born and raised in 19th century Europe, where national boundaries were blurred and contested – he pushed himself to master even more tongues, even when there was no real need for them in his everyday life.
Tesla was born in 1856 in the town of Smijan. While that was then part of the Austrian Empire, it is today part of Croatia. As a result, the young Nikla grew up speaking not only German but also Serbo-Croatian. What’s more, French was also part of the formal education for bright boys back then. So, by the time he reached the age of just 10, he was fluent in three languages and well on his way to mastering a fourth. After school, he moved to Budapest to work for the city’s Telephone Exchange. According to some of his biographers, he learned Hungarian here, before heading to Paris a year later, giving him the chance to hone his engineering skills at the Continental Edison Company while also perfecting his schoolboy French.
In 1884, Tesla decided to move to the United States, the country he would call home for the rest of his life. Settling down in New York City, he quickly learned English and was soon speaking and writing the language fluently. It was here that he also made a name, as well as a fortune, for himself. However, though he was obviously blessed with excellent language skills, the brilliant engineer was largely reclusive, preferring to spend up to 84 hours at a time in his office or workshop. Famously, he never had time for love or romance, so it’s doubtful he had much chance to use his foreign language skills either. He died in New York City, alone, largely forgotten and in considerable debt, in 1960.