here is how the major biographies of tesla have characterized his place of origin tesla inventor of the electrical age w bernard carlson princeton university press may p nikola tesla was born in in smiljan in the province of lika in what is today croatia at that time croatia was the military frontier district of austro hungarian empire and the area sometimes referred to as krajina tabsmiljan austrian empire modern day croatia tabsmiljan croatian military frontier austrian empire tabsmiljan croatian military frontier austrian empire modern day croatia tesla man out of time margaret cheney simon and schuster oct p nikola tesla was born at precisely midnight between july and in the village of smiljan province of lika croatia between yugoslavia s velebit mountains and the eastern shore of the adriatic sea tabsmiljan croatian wizard the life and times of nikola tesla marc j seifer citadel press may p it was during a crackling summer storm in smiljan a small hamlet at the back edge of a plateau set high in the mountains when nikola tesla was born the serbian family resided in the province of lika a plateau and gentle river valley in croatia where wild boar and deer still dwell in the early s having been briefly part of napoleon s illyrian provinces croatia was now a domain of austria hungary with its neighboring slavic countries of bosnia herzegovina montenegro serbia an slovenia croatia was sandwiched between the ruling hapsburg dynasty to the north and the ottoman empire to the south tabsmiljan croatian tabsmiljan austrian empire modern day croatia tabsmiljan croatian military frontier austrian empire tabsmiljan croatian military frontier austrian empire modern day croatia nikola tesla a spark of genius carol dommermuth costa twenty first century books p nikola tesla was born at midnight between july and in smiljan a small village in croatia tabsmiljan croatian prodigal genius the life of nikola tesla james o neill ives washburn p there was no evidence whatever that a superman ws being born when the stroke of midnight between july and in the year brought a son nikola to the home of the rev milutin teslan and djouka his wife in the hamlet of smiljan i the austro hungarian border province of lika now a part of yugoslavia tabsmiljan austrian empire modern day croatia tabsmiljan croatian military frontier austrian empire tabsmiljan croatian military frontier austrian empire modern day croatia the inventions researches and writings of nikola tesla the inventions researches and writings of nikola tesla thomas c martin nikola tesla health research books nov p tabnikola tesla was born in at smiljan lika a borderland region of austro hungary of the serbian race which as maintained against turkey and all comer so unceasing a struggle for freedom tabsmiljan austrian empire modern day croatia tabsmiljan croatian military frontier austrian empire tabsmiljan croatian military frontier austrian empire modern day croatia there just isn't consensus among tesla's biographers for this and i strongly suggest tha