Joseph John “J. J.” Thomson was a British physicist credited with discovering electrons and isotopes, for which he received a Nobel prize. Early life Joseph John Thomson was born in 1856 in Cheetham Hill, England Emma Swindells and Joseph James Thomson, an antiquarian bookshop keeper. Joseph James Thomson was of Scottish origin which explains the …
Ernst Mayr was one of the 20th century’s leading biologists, specializing in theory of evolution. Early life He was born on July 5, 1904 in Kempten, Germany. Mayr’s father was a jurist who was also interested in natural history. His father used to take him and his older brother out on field trips quite often. …
Ernest Rutherford was a British chemist and physicist born in New Zeland, who became known as the father of nuclear physics. Early life Ernest Rutherford was born on August 30, 1871 in rural Nelson. He was the fourth child out of twelve to James and Martha Rutherford. As a boy, Ernest was surrounded by hard …
Edwin Hubble was an American astronomer who fundamentally changed our view and understanding of the universe by confirming the existence of galaxies other than the Milky Way. Early life Edwin Powell Hubble was born on November 20, 1889 in Marshfield, Missouri to a John Powell Hubble, and Virginia Lee James. In 1898, Hubble family moved …
Dmitri Mendeleev was a Russian chemist who is credited for creating the periodic table of elements as we know it today. Early life Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev was born on 8 February 1834 in the village of Verkhnie Aremzyani in Siberia. He was the son of Ivan Pavlovich Mendeleev and Maria Dmitrievna Mendeleev. The number of Dmitri’s …
Sir Charles Scott Sherrington was a famous English neurophysiologist, bacteriologist, histologist and pathologist. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Edgar Adrian in 1932. Early life Charles Scott Sherrington was born on November 27, 1857, in London, England. His father died when Sherrington was a child. Sherrington’s mother later married Dr. …
Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss was German mathematician and scientist. He is widely recognized for his contributions to number theory, geometry, probability theory, theory of functions, geodesy, planetary astronomy etc. Early life Gauss was born on April 30, 1777 in Brunswick, Germany. He was the only child of his poor, working-class parents. His father was a …
Burrhus Frederic Skinner was an American psychologist famous for his work in the area of behavioral psychology. Early life Burrhus Frederic Skinner was born on March 20th, 1904, in the town of Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. Skinner’s father was a lawyer while his mother stayed at home to take care of the household. He had a younger …
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek was a Dutch scientist/trader who is best known for his improvement of the microscope and for his contributions towards the establishment of microbiology. Early life Antonie van Leeuwenhoek was born on October 24, 1632 in Delft, The Netherlands. His father was a basket-maker, while his mother’s family were brewers. He lived with …
Alexander Fleming was a Scottish biologist and pharmacologist who is considered to be the father of antibiotic research. Early life Alexander Fleming was on 6 August 1881 on a farm in Ayrshire, Scotland. He was the son of farmer Hugh Fleming, and his second wife Grace Stirling Morton. Education Alexander Fleming attended Louden Moor School …