George Westinghouse was a visionary of technology and business, whose ideas transformed the safety and services of the American railroad and electricity industries. Born in Central Bridge, New York, in 1846, Westinghouse moved with his family to nearby Schenectady when he was ten. At his father's machinery shop, the young Westinghouse learned to work with steam engines and other machines. At the age of fifteen, Westinghouse began service with the Union Army, which continued through the …showed first 75 words of 503 total…

…showed last 75 words of 503 total…demonstrations, including the Columbian Exhibition in Chicago in 1893, Westinghouse's and Tesla's AC system was supreme: soon, 95% of public electricity was switched to the AC system; and even General Electric was forced to cross-license Westinghouse's patents (1896). With this victory, Westinghouse began to gain the well deserved fame that has lasted beyond his death in 1914, including his induction into the Hall of Fame for Great Americans (1957) and the National Inventors Hall of Fame (1989). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography** Altavista.com