Nikola Tesla was born on July 10, 1856, in Smiljan, a small village located in the mountainous region of Croatia, which was then part of the Austrian Empire. His parents, Milutin Tesla and Djuka Mandic, were Serbian and worked as an Orthodox priest and housewife, respectively.

From an early age, Tesla showed an insatiable curiosity and a brilliant mind. He had a natural ability to visualize objects and ideas in his mind, without the need to draw them on paper. This ability would later become a defining characteristic in his work as an inventor.

During his childhood, Tesla had limited access to books and educational materials, but his father, who was an educated man, encouraged his passion for reading and learning. Tesla was also influenced by his mother, who suffered from a chronic illness, and who encouraged him to explore nature and to seek answers to life's big questions.

In his spare time, Tesla enjoyed inventing things and building mechanical devices. He was fascinated by the operation of windmills, clocks, and other mechanical objects that he found in his village. When he was only 5 years old, Tesla built a small windmill that he played with.

Tesla's childhood in Croatia was instrumental in shaping his character and developing his intellectual abilities. He would later fondly remember his homeland, where he discovered his passion for science and invention.