Nikola Tesla and Mihajlo Pupin are two of the greatest Serbian scientists and inventors, who fulfilled their careers, inventions and scientific achievements in the United States of America. Both made key contributions to the scientific and technological development of humanity, never forgetting their Serbian origins and the American social environment that allowed them to fully express their talents and values.
The issue of commemorative postage stamps ”Nikola Tesla and Mihajlo Pupin – Our Geniuses” celebrates the two giants of science in honour of the centenary of the first publication of Mihajlo Pupin's Pulitzer Prize-winning autobiography, ”From Immigrant to Inventor” and the 125th anniversary of Tesla's first public demonstration of radio control.
Nikola Tesla (Smiljan, July 10, 1856 – New York, January 7, 1943) inventor, engineer and futurist, best known for his contribution to the design of the modern AC power supply system, is one of the greatest geniuses and the greatest inventor of the last millennium. He bequeathed his inventions, according to his own wish, to all humankind. Among many of his patents, there are also those in the field of radio and wireless transmission of radio signals, and shortly after he registered his first patent in this field, in 1898, Tesla performed the first public demonstration of controlling a boat via radio waves, at an exhibition in the field of electricity at Madison Square Garden.
Mihajlo Idvorski Pupin (Idvor, October 9, 1854 – New York, March 12, 1935) scientist, inventor, professor at Columbia University and honorary consul of Serbia in the USA, will be remembered not only for his successful and extensive scientific work but also for his outstanding contribution to the Paris Peace Conference, which, after World War I, determined the borders of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Pupin was also engaged in literary work; he won the world prestigious Pulitzer Prize in 1924 for his most famous work, the autobiography in English ”From immigrant to inventor” published in 1923.
