In 2013, Time named Tesla one of the 100 most significant figures of all time.
The recognition came from Time’s “Who’s Biggest? The 100 Most Significant Figures in History,” a project by computer scientists Steven Skiena and Charles Ward. Their ranking attempted to measure historical significance using factors such as lasting influence and prominence in historical records, rather than simply contemporary fame.
Tesla appeared at number 93 on the list. The ranking was not a conventional annual celebrity poll and did not mean that Tesla was named one of Time magazine’s yearly “100 Most Influential People.” Those are separate Time features and are a common source of confusion.
Tesla’s inclusion reflected his long-term influence on electrical engineering, especially alternating-current power systems, induction motors, high-voltage transmission, and radio-related experimentation. The SI unit of magnetic flux density, the tesla, was also named in his honor in 1960, decades after his death.