Tesla died quietly and alone in room #3327 on the 33rd floor of the Hotel New Yorker in New York City. The coroner would later estimate the time of death at 22:30 EST. Tesla was 86 years old.
Tesla had placed a "do not disturb" sign on his door on January 5th, 1943. Ignoring the sign, maid Alice Monaghan entered the room to find Tesla dead in his bed. Assistant Medical Examiner H. W. Wembly was called to the scene and after examination of the body, gave his opinion that the cause of death had been coronary thrombosis and that there had been no suspicious circumstances. Tesla's body was taken to the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home at Madison Ave. and 81st St. A sculptor was commissioned by Hugo Gernsback, a long-time friend and supporter of Tesla, to create a death mask which is now displayed in the Nikola Tesla Museum.
After learning of Tesla's death, the FBI ordered the U.S. Office of Alien Property to seize all of Tesla's belongings. Tesla's entire estate from the Hotel New Yorker, and other New York City hotels, was transported to the Manhattan Storage and Warehouse Company under OAP seal. Dr. John G. Trump, an electrical engineer with the National Defense Research Committee of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, was called in to analyze the Tesla items in OAP custody.
New York City mayor Fiorello La Guardia reads a moving eulogy written by Croatian author Louis Adamić live over the WNYC radio. From the background was coming sounds of "Ave Maria" and "Tamo Daleko," songs played on violin. Spreading notes over the air, the violin player Zlatko Baloković (1895-1965) paid tribute to his friend Tesla.
Tesla was accorded a State Funeral at the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Divine at West 112th St., in New York City. The Cathedral of St. John is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world, accommodated the more than 2,000 who attended. The funeral service was opened by Episcopal Bishop William T. Manning and concluded by the venerable Reverend Dushan J. Shukletovich, rector of the Serbian Orthodox Church of St. Sava. After the funeral, Tesla's body was taken to the Ferncliff Cemetery in Ardsley, New York, where it was later cremated.
A second service was conducted in Serbian by prominent priests of the St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Cathedral at 13-15 West 25th St. in New York City.
Basing their decision on Tesla's lectures of 1893, which were widely published in translation, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Tesla as "the father of radio" in 1943, only a few months after Tesla's death. Some have speculated that the court reversed the decision merely to avoid having to pay any royalties to the Marconi Corporation, which was suing the U.S. government for patents used during World War I.
The liberty ship S.S. Nikola Tesla was christened on this day.
Croatian military division "Nikola Tesla" is formed. It fought in Lika, Dalmatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Sandžak, Serbia, Srymia and Slavonia. The division distinguished itself in the liberation of Lika in March-May of 1943 as part of the Drvar and Belgrade operations. It became proletarian on March 19th, 1944 by decree of Supreme Headquarters and was praised several times by the Supreme Commander.
In his diaries "A King's Heritage," the young Peter II writes: "I visited Dr. Nikola Tesla, in his apartment in the Hotel New Yorker. After I had greeted him, the aged scientist said, 'It is my greatest honor. I am glad you are in your youth, and I am content that you will be a great ruler. I believe I will live until you come back to a free Yugoslavia. From your father you have received his last words: "Guard Yugoslavia." I am proud to be a Serbian and a Yugoslav. Our people cannot perish. Preserve the unity of all Yugoslavs - the Serbs, the Croats, and Slovenes.'"
Certificate of honorary doctorate from the University of Poitiers.
Tesla was the first scientist nominated for permanent membership of the Serbian Royal Academy of Sciences, but wasn't initially elected. On this date, when he was notified that he was elected for full membership in this renowned institution, Tesla didn't even respond to the telegram. Although they asked him to send his curriculum vitae in order to print it in their annual, the annual was published without this text.
Mr. Hurban, presenting the Grand Cordon of the White Lion said "Our Czechoslovak nation's brotherly feeling toward you as a son of Yugoslavia made it a duty, not a privilege, to give you this decoration in the name of the president of our nation, Dr. Eduard Benes." He also presented a diploma certifying Dr. Tesla's honorary degree as a doctor of the University of Prague.
Marconi died in Rome following a series of heart attacks and Italy held a state funeral for him. As a tribute, all radio stations throughout the world observed two minutes of silence. His remains are housed in the Villa Griffone at Sasso Marconi, Emilia-Romagna, which assumed that name in his honor in 1938.
One night around midnight, Tesla left the Hotel New Yorker to feed his pigeons in the park. While crossing the street, he was struck by a taxicab and, by some reports, was thrown 35 to 40 feet. Tesla returned to his hotel and later stated, "It merely caused customary bruises and upset my digestion a bit." Other accounts indicate three ribs were broken. Tesla refused treatment and remained in his room for many months.
Tesla's lifelong friend, Robert Underwood Johnson, dies. Johnson was a writer, poet, diplomat and editor of "Century Magazine." He was very active socially and introduced Tesla to many important people of the time.
The University of Paris awarded Nikola Tesla the Dr. Honoris Causa of technical science.
Tesla, realizing war was imminent, composed a treatise entitled "The Art of Projecting Concentrated Non-dispersive Energy through the Natural Media" concerning a charged particle beam weapon. The document was published in an attempt to expound on the technical description of a "super weapon that would put an end to all war." Tesla tried to interest the U.S. War Department and European allies, but none were willing to make the investment required to build the device.
In response to an honorary citation, a speech (delivered in absentia due to illness) is given before a meeting of the Institute of Immigrant Welfare, Biltmore Hotel, New York.
In a "Liberty" magazine article entitled "A Machine to End War," G.S. Viereck, a friend of Tesla's and a Nazi spokesperson, reported on what Tesla believed the world would be like in the years 2035 and 2100.