Tesla sailed for America in 1884, arriving in New York with four cents in his pocket, a few of his own poems, and calculations for a flying machine. He first found employment with Thomas Edison, but the two inventors were far apart in background and methods, and their separation was inevitable. Tesla traveled for business in next decade but returned to New York in 1900. During his life he lived in a series of New York hotels, leaving behind unpaid bills. He died in New York City in January 1943.
New York