Nikola Tesla was born on 10 July [O.S. 28 June] 1856 into a Serb family in the village of Smiljan, Austrian Empire (modern-day Croatia[15]).[16][17] His father, Milutin Tesla, was an Orthodox priest.[18][19][20][21] Tesla's mother, Đuka Tesla (née Mandić), whose father was also an Orthodox priest,[16]:10 had a talent for making home craft tools, mechanical appliances, and the ability to memorize Serbian epic poems. Đuka had never received a formal education. Nikola credited his eidetic memory and creative abilities to his mother's genetics and influence.[10][22] Tesla's progenitors were from western Serbia, near Montenegro.[16]:12