I think the writers and directors of The Big Bang Theory casted Sheldon Cooper as a tribute to Nikola Tesla. I think Sheldon has a picture of Nikola Tesla in his apartment. Following are some of the idiosyncratically similar behaviors that Tesla had :
1) Tesla was 6'2" tall and pale
2) He was meticulous in his grooming, clothing, and regimented in his daily activities
3) He had an Eidetic Memory
4) Tesla probably suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder
5) He showed Animal advocacy
6) Tesla was a celibate and never married, claiming that his chastity was very helpful to his scientif