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Fact 1266 — Tesla and 18 napkins

Biographical accounts say Nikola Tesla asked for 18 napkins at the table and used them to polish his silverware and dishes. Biographer W. Bernard Carlson recounted this detail while referring to earlier biographies; there is no documentary evidence that Tesla did this at literally every meal. It is therefore more accurate to call it a reported habit than an “always” rule. The illustration is AI-generated.

AI-generated symbolic hotel table with linen napkins and silverware. It does not depict Tesla or a verified historical setting and is not documentary evidence. Creator: OpenAI image generation. No external media or reuse license applies.

AI-generated symbolic hotel table with linen napkins and silverware. It does not depict Tesla or a verified historical setting and is not documentary evidence. Creator: OpenAI image generation. No external media or reuse license applies.