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Royal Society

ORGANIZATION

The UK's national academy of science, founded 1660. Formally, The Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge.

Offers awards for scientific accomplishment including:

Official Website:
http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/

Founding Date:
1660

NameOccupationBirthDeathKnown for
Edward P. Abraham
Chemist
10-Jun-1913 8-May-1999 Cephalosporins
Alexei A. Abrikosov
Physicist
25-Jun-1928   Particle physicist, explored superconductivity
Peter Ackroyd
Author
5-Oct-1949   The Great Fire of London
Walter S. Adams
Astronomer
20-Dec-1876 11-May-1956 Long-time director of Mt. Wilson Observatory
Edgar Adrian
Scientist
30-Nov-1889 4-Aug-1977 Electricity within nerve cells
Louis Agassiz
Paleontologist
28-May-1807 14-Dec-1873 Ichthyologist at Harvard
George Biddell Airy
Astronomer
27-Jul-1801 2-Jan-1892 British Astronomer Royal
John Anderson
Politician
8-Jul-1882 4-Jan-1958 Chancellor of the Exchequer, 1943-45
Philip W. Anderson
Physicist
13-Dec-1923   Solid state physics
Ross Anderson
Scholar
15-Sep-1956   Why Cryptosystems Fail
Anders Jonas Ångström
Physicist
13-Aug-1814 21-Jun-1874 Founder of spectroscopy
Edward Victor Appleton
Physicist
6-Sep-1892 21-Apr-1965 Ionosphere, shortwave radio
John Arbuthnot
Doctor
1667 27-Feb-1735 Scriblerus Club
Svante Arrhenius
Chemist
19-Feb-1859 2-Oct-1927 Explored electrolytic conductivity
Francis W. Aston
Chemist
1-Sep-1877 20-Nov-1945 Invented the mass spectograph
Michael Atiyah
Mathematician
22-Apr-1929   Atiyah-Singer index theorem
David Attenborough
Naturalist
8-May-1926   Life on Earth
Clement Attlee
Head of State
3-Jan-1883 8-Oct-1967 UK Prime Minister, 1945-51
John Aubrey
Historian
12-Mar-1626 7-Jun-1697 English antiquary
Charles Babbage
Mathematician
26-Dec-1791 18-Oct-1871 Inventor of the Difference Engine
Harold D. Babcock
Astronomer
24-Jan-1882 8-Apr-1968 Solar radiation
Sir Benjamin Baker
Engineer
31-Mar-1840 19-May-1907 Bridged the Firth of Forth
David Baltimore
Biologist
7-Mar-1938   Co-Discoverer, reverse transcriptase
Sir Joseph Banks
Botanist
13-Feb-1743 19-Jun-1820 Accompanied James Cook
Charles Glover Barkla
Physicist
7-Jun-1877 23-Oct-1944 X-ray scattering
Derek Barton
Chemist
8-Sep-1918 16-Mar-1998 Conformational analysis
David Bates
Astronomer
18-Nov-1916 5-Jan-1994 Atmospheric and interstellar physics
Thomas Bayes
Mathematician
1701 7-Apr-1761 Bayes' theorem
William Bayliss
Doctor
2-May-1860 27-Aug-1924 Co-Discovered hormones
Henri Becquerel
Physicist
15-Dec-1852 25-Aug-1908 Discoverer of radioactivity
John Stewart Bell
Physicist
28-Jun-1928 1-Oct-1990 Bell's theorem of quantum physics
Sir Charles Bell
Doctor
Nov-1774 28-Apr-1842 New Idea of Anatomy of the Brain
Richard Bentley
Critic
27-Jan-1662 14-Jul-1742 Reformed classical scholarship
Paul Berg
Chemist
30-Jun-1926   Pioneer in recombinant DNA
J. D. Bernal
Physicist
10-May-1901 15-Sep-1971 X-ray crystallography
Tim Berners-Lee
Computer Programmer
8-Jun-1955   Inventor of the World Wide Web
Henry Bessemer
Inventor
19-Jan-1813 15-Mar-1898 Bessemer process to manufacture steel
Hans Bethe
Physicist
2-Jul-1906 6-Mar-2005 Atomic scientist
Robert J. Birgeneau
Educator
1942   Chancellor, UC Berkeley
James W. Black
Scientist
14-Jun-1924 22-Mar-2010 Propranolol and cimetidine
Elizabeth H. Blackburn
Scientist
26-Nov-1948   Co-Discoverer of telomerase
Patrick M. S. Blackett
Physicist
18-Nov-1897 13-Jul-1974 Cosmic radiation, continental drift
Brebis Bleaney
Physicist
6-Jun-1915 4-Nov-2006 Electron paramagnetic resonance
William Bligh
Military
9-Sep-1754 6-Dec-1817 Captain of the Bounty
Konrad Bloch
Scientist
21-Jan-1912 15-Oct-2000 Cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism
David Bohm
Physicist
20-Dec-1917 29-Oct-1992 Particle physicist
Niels Bohr
Physicist
7-Oct-1885 18-Nov-1962 Father of Quantum Theory
Alec Boksenberg
Astronomer
18-Mar-1936   Image Photon Counting System
John G. Bolton
Astronomer
5-Jun-1922 6-Jul-1993 First Director of Parkes Observatory
Charles Bonnet
Naturalist
13-Mar-1720 20-May-1793 Discovered parthenogenesis
George Boole
Mathematician
2-Nov-1815 8-Dec-1864 Inventor of Boolean Algebra
Charles Booth
Sociologist
30-Mar-1840 23-Nov-1916 Studied poverty in London
Jules Bordet
Scientist
13-Jun-1870 6-Apr-1961 Researched antibodies and antigens
Gutzon Borglum
Sculptor
25-Mar-1867 6-Mar-1941 Mount Rushmore
Max Born
Physicist
11-Dec-1882 5-Jan-1970 Pioneer of quantum mechanics
Ruggero Giuseppe Boscovich
Astronomer
18-May-1711 13-Feb-1787 Theoria philosophiae naturalis
J. C. Bose
Botanist
30-Nov-1858 23-Nov-1937 Plant physiology
Satyendra Nath Bose
Physicist
1-Jan-1894 4-Feb-1974 Bose-Einstein condensates
Matthew Boulton
Business
3-Sep-1728 17-Aug-1809 Financed the early steam engine
Nathaniel Bowditch
Astronomer
26-Mar-1773 17-Mar-1838 American Practical Navigator
Sir John Bowring
Author
17-Oct-1792 23-Nov-1872 4th Governor of Hong Kong
George E. P. Box
Mathematician
18-Oct-1919 28-Mar-2013 Statistician at University of Wisconsin
Robert Boyle
Chemist
25-Jan-1627 30-Dec-1691 Pioneer of modern chemistry
James Bradley
Astronomer
1693 13-Jul-1762 Aberration of Light
Lawrence Bragg
Physicist
31-Mar-1890 1-Jul-1971 Bragg's Law of diffraction
Melvyn Bragg
TV Personality
6-Oct-1939   The South Bank Show
William Bragg
Physicist
2-Jul-1862 12-Mar-1942 Analyzed crystal structures
Sydney Brenner
Scientist
13-Jan-1927   Genetic regulation of organ development
Percy Williams Bridgman
Physicist
21-Apr-1882 20-Aug-1961 High-pressure physics
Bertram N. Brockhouse
Physicist
15-Jul-1918 13-Oct-2003 Triple-axis crystal spectrometry
Louis de Broglie
Physicist
15-Aug-1892 19-Mar-1987 Discovered the wave nature of electrons
Ernest W. Brown
Astronomer
29-Nov-1866 22-Jul-1938 Tables of the Motion of the Moon
R. Hanbury Brown
Astronomer
31-Aug-1916 16-Jan-2002 Optical intensity interferometer
Robert Brown
Botanist
21-Dec-1773 10-Jun-1858 Brownian motion
Stanley Bruce
Head of State
15-Apr-1883 25-Aug-1967 Prime Minister of Australia, 1923-29
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Engineer
9-Apr-1806 15-Sep-1859 Chief engineer of the Great Western Railway
Charles F. Brush
Inventor
17-Mar-1849 15-Jun-1929 Street lights
William Buckland
Geologist
12-Mar-1784 15-Aug-1856 Reliquiae Diluvianae
Edward Bullard
Physicist
21-Sep-1907 3-Apr-1980 Continental drift, magnetic fields
E. Margaret Burbidge
Astronomer
12-Aug-1919   Synthesis of the elements in stars
Geoffrey Burbidge
Astronomer
24-Sep-1925 26-Jan-2010 Quasi-steady state cosmology
Frank Macfarlane Burnet
Scientist
3-Sep-1899 31-Aug-1985 Acquired immunological tolerance
George Busk
Doctor
12-Aug-1807 10-Aug-1886 British surgeon and zoologist
Adolf Butenandt
Chemist
24-Mar-1903 18-Jan-1995 Research in sex hormones
Melvin Calvin
Chemist
8-Apr-1911 8-Jan-1997 Deciphered photosynthesis
William W. Campbell
Astronomer
11-Apr-1862 14-Jun-1938 Stellar Motions
Frederick Carder
Artist
18-Sep-1863 10-Dec-1963 "Aurene" glass artist
Élie Cartan
Mathematician
9-Apr-1869 6-May-1951 Spinor groups
Henri Cartan
Mathematician
8-Jul-1904 13-Aug-2008 Leader of the math Bourbakistes
Henry Cavendish
Chemist
10-Oct-1731 24-Feb-1810 Discovered hydrogen
James Chadwick
Physicist
20-Oct-1891 24-Jul-1974 Discovered the neutron
Ernst B. Chain
Scientist
19-Jun-1906 12-Aug-1979 Isolated penicillin
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar
Astronomer
19-Oct-1910 21-Aug-1995 Evolutionary stages of stars
Sydney Chapman
Mathematician
29-Jan-1888 16-Jun-1970 Geomagnetism
John Charnley
Doctor
29-Aug-1912 5-Aug-1982 Hip replacement surgery
Michel-Eugène Chevreul
Chemist
31-Aug-1786 9-Apr-1889 Chemistry of fats, dyes
Charles Chree
Astronomer
5-May-1860 12-Aug-1928 Geomagnetic phenomena
A. J. Clark
Scientist
19-Aug-1885 30-Jul-1941 Drug responses
John Clarke
Physicist
10-Feb-1942   Superconducting quantum interference
William Cochran
Physicist
30-Jul-1922 28-Aug-2003 Crystallography
John Cockcroft
Physicist
27-May-1897 18-Sep-1967 Split the atom
Christopher Cockerell
Inventor
4-Jun-1910 1-Jun-1999 Hovercraft
John Conway
Mathematician
26-Dec-1937   Game of Life
James Cook
Explorer
27-Oct-1728 14-Feb-1779 Explorer of the South Pacific
Carl Cori
Scientist
5-Dec-1896 20-Oct-1984 Catalytic conversion of glycogen
E. J. H. Corner
Botanist
12-Jan-1906 14-Sep-1996 Durian theory
John Cornforth
Chemist
7-Sep-1917 8-Dec-2013 Stereochemistry of enzyme-catalysts
Alan Cottrell
Scientist
17-Jul-1919 15-Feb-2012 Metallurgist at Cambridge
Thomas George Cowling
Mathematician
17-Jun-1906 16-Jun-1990 Cowling model
Sir William Crookes
Chemist
17-Jun-1832 4-Apr-1919 Discovered element Thallium
Paul J. Crutzen
Physicist
3-Dec-1933   Ozone depletion
Harvey Cushing
Doctor
8-Apr-1869 7-Oct-1939 Cushing's Syndrome
Henry Dale
Scientist
9-Jun-1875 23-Jul-1968 Acetylcholine as a neurotransmitter
Richard Dalitz
Physicist
28-Feb-1925 13-Jan-2006 Dalitz pairs and Dalitz plots
John Dalton
Chemist
6-Sep-1766 27-Jul-1844 Early proponent of Atomic Theory
George Darwin
Astronomer
9-Jul-1845 7-Dec-1912 Evolution of the Sun-Earth-Moon system
Humphry Davy
Chemist
17-Dec-1778 29-May-1829 Leading early 19th century chemist
Richard Dawkins
Biologist
26-Mar-1941   Zoologist and evolutionary biologist
John William Dawson
Geologist
30-Oct-1820 20-Nov-1899 Air Breathers of the Coal Period
Henry de la Beche
Geologist
1796 13-Apr-1855 Created first Geologic Survey
Michael DeBakey
Doctor
7-Sep-1908 11-Jul-2008 Father of cardiovascular surgery
Peter Debye
Physicist
24-Mar-1884 2-Nov-1966 Studied molecular structure, dipoles
Martin R. Delany
Activist
6-May-1812 24-Jan-1885 Black nationalist
Max Delbrück
Scientist
4-Sep-1906 10-Mar-1981 Molecular structure of viral genes (phages)
Joseph-Nicolas Delisle
Astronomer
4-Apr-1688 11-Sep-1768 Founded St. Petersburg observatory
Jean-André Deluc
Geologist
8-Feb-1727 7-Nov-1817 Lettres... sur les montagnes
Henri Alexandre Deslandres
Astronomer
24-Jul-1853 15-Jan-1948 Spectroheliograph
Kenelm Digby
Scientist
11-Jul-1603 11-Jun-1665 Founding member of the Royal Society
Paul Dirac
Physicist
8-Aug-1902 20-Oct-1984 The Principles of Quantum Mechanics
Jeremiah Dixon
Astronomer
7-Aug-1733 22-Jan-1777 Mason-Dixon Line
T. G. Dobzhansky
Scientist
25-Jan-1900 18-Dec-1975 Genetics and the Origin of Species
E. C. Dodds
Scientist
13-Oct-1899 16-Dec-1973 Diethylstilbestrol
John Dollond
Physicist
10-Jun-1706 30-Nov-1761 Invented achromatic lenses
Gerhard Domagk
Scientist
30-Oct-1895 24-Apr-1964 Sulfa drugs for strep, stapf infections
John Dryden
Poet
19-Aug-1631 1-May-1700 Absalom and Achitophel
William Duddell
Physicist
1872 4-Nov-1917 Electronic music
Frank W. Dyson
Astronomer
8-Jan-1868 25-May-1939 Six pips on the BBC
Freeman Dyson
Physicist
15-Dec-1923   Theoretical physicist at Institute for Advanced Study
John Eccles
Scientist
27-Jan-1903 2-May-1997 Membrane potential of nerves
Arthur Eddington
Astronomer
28-Dec-1882 22-Nov-1944 Eddington luminosity
Peter P. Edwards
Chemist
1949   Metal-non-metal transition
Geoffrey Eglinton
Geologist
1-Nov-1927   Molecular organic geochemistry
Willem Einthoven
Scientist
21-May-1860 28-Sep-1927 Invented the electrocardiograph
Gertrude B. Elion
Scientist
23-Jan-1918 21-Feb-1999 Developed medicines for leukemia, herpes, AIDS
Charles Elton
Scientist
29-Mar-1900 1-May-1991 Animal Ecology
Richard R. Ernst
Chemist
14-Aug-1933   NMR spectroscopy
Martin Evans
Scientist
1-Jan-1941   Embryonic stem cells
John Evelyn
Author
31-Oct-1620 27-Feb-1706 English diarist
George Everest
Explorer
4-Jul-1790 1-Dec-1866 Namesake of Mt. Everest
Sebastian Ziani de Ferranti
Business
9-Apr-1864 13-Jan-1930 England's electrical grid
Richard Feynman
Physicist
11-May-1918 15-Feb-1988 Surely he's joking
George Finch
Chemist
4-Aug-1888 22-Nov-1970 Oxygen for mountain climbing
Ronald Fisher
Mathematician
17-Feb-1890 29-Jul-1962 Analysis of variance and covariance
Martin Fleischmann
Chemist
29-Mar-1927 3-Aug-2012 Cold fusion crank
Alexander Fleming
Scientist
6-Aug-1881 11-Mar-1955 Discovered penicillin
Howard Florey
Scientist
24-Sep-1898 21-Feb-1968 Isolated penicillin
William Edward Forster
Politician
11-Jul-1818 5-Apr-1886 Chief Secretary for Ireland, 1880-82
Richard Fortey
Paleontologist
1946   Trilobites and graptolites
Léon Foucault
Physicist
19-Sep-1819 11-Feb-1868 Measured the speed of light
Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier
Mathematician
21-Mar-1768 16-May-1830 Fourier series
Alfred Fowler
Astronomer
22-Mar-1868 24-Jun-1940 Celestial spectroscopy
Peter Fowler
Physicist
27-Feb-1923 8-Nov-1996 Cosmic radiation
James Franck
Physicist
26-Aug-1882 21-May-1964 Franck-Hertz experiment
Benjamin Franklin
Diplomat
17-Jan-1706 17-Apr-1790 American founding father
T. R. Fraser
Scientist
5-Feb-1841 4-Jan-1920 Made poison and venom into medicine
Augustin-Jean Fresnel
Physicist
10-May-1788 14-Jul-1827 Optician, invented Fresnel lens
Otto Robert Frisch
Physicist
1-Oct-1904 22-Sep-1979 Described fission
Kenichi Fukui
Chemist
4-Oct-1918 9-Jan-1998 Frontier orbitals
Dennis Gabor
Physicist
5-Jun-1900 8-Feb-1979 Inventor of holography
John H. Gaddum
Scientist
31-Mar-1900 30-Jun-1965 Drug antagonism
Francis Galton
Anthropologist
16-Feb-1822 17-Jan-1911 Word Association Test
Herbert S. Gasser
Scientist
5-Jul-1888 11-May-1963 Nerve conduction
Andre Geim
Physicist
Oct-1958   Super-thin carbon physics
Israel Gelfand
Mathematician
2-Sep-1913 5-Oct-2009 Banach algebras, Lie groups
Murray Gell-Mann
Physicist
15-Sep-1929   Quarks and strangeness
Pierre-Gilles de Gennes
Physicist
24-Oct-1932 18-May-2007 Molecular structure of polymers
Roy J. Glauber
Physicist
1-Sep-1925   Quantum optics
Kurt Gödel
Mathematician
28-Apr-1906 14-Jan-1978 Gdel's Incompleteness Theorems
Thomas Gold
Scientist
22-May-1920 22-Jun-2004 Certain that oil is not a fossil fuel
Joseph L. Goldstein
Scientist
18-Apr-1940   Hypercholesterolemia and cell metabolism
Ragnar Granit
Scientist
30-Oct-1900 31-Mar-1990 Physiology of the retina
Richard Gregory
Psychologist
24-Jul-1923 17-May-2010 Optical illusions and "hands-on" science
Ernest Howard Griffiths
Physicist
15-Jun-1851 3-Mar-1932 The Thermal Measurement of Energy
Stephen Groombridge
Astronomer
7-Jan-1755 30-Mar-1832 A Catalogue of Circumpolar Stars
Jacques-Salomon Hadamard
Mathematician
8-Dec-1865 17-Oct-1963 Prime number theorem
J. B. S. Haldane
Biologist
5-Nov-1892 1-Dec-1964 Haldane's principle
John Scott Haldane
Doctor
3-May-1860 14-Mar-1936 Breathing regulated by CO2
Stephen Hales
Scientist
7-Sep-1677 4-Jan-1761 Statical Essays
Albrecht von Haller
Doctor
16-Oct-1708 12-Dec-1777 Elementa Physiologiae Corporis Humani
Edmund Halley
Astronomer
8-Nov-1656 14-Jan-1742 Predicted return of Halley's Comet
Christopher Hansteen
Astronomer
26-Sep-1784 15-Apr-1873 Studied terrestrial magnetism
Arthur Harden
Chemist
12-Oct-1865 17-Jun-1940 Enzymes of sugar fermentation
G. H. Hardy
Mathematician
7-Feb-1877 1-Dec-1947 A Mathematician's Apology
William Snow Harris
Physicist
1-Apr-1791 22-Jan-1867 Invented a lightning rod for ships
Ross Granville Harrison
Zoologist
13-Jan-1870 30-Sep-1959 Embryology and tissue culture techniques
Haldan K. Hartline
Scientist
22-Dec-1903 17-Mar-1983 Physiology of the retina
Stephen Hawking
Physicist
8-Jan-1942   Wheelchair-bound physicist
Norman Haworth
Chemist
19-Mar-1883 19-Mar-1950 Carbohydrates and vitamin C
Oliver Heaviside
Engineer
18-May-1850 3-Feb-1925 Kennelly-Heaviside layer
Werner Heisenberg
Physicist
5-Dec-1901 1-Feb-1976 Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle
John Herschel
Astronomer
7-Mar-1792 11-May-1871 Discovered many moons of Saturn
Gerhard Herzberg
Physicist
25-Dec-1904 3-Mar-1999 Molecular spectroscopy
George de Hevesy
Chemist
1-Aug-1885 5-Jul-1966 Radioisotope researcher
Antony Hewish
Astronomer
11-May-1924   Co-Discoverer of pulsars
Raymond Hide
Physicist
17-May-1929   Earth's rotation
Peter Higgs
Physicist
29-May-1929   Higgs boson and Higgs field
David Hilbert
Mathematician
23-Jan-1862 14-Feb-1943 Hilbert Space
Archibald V. Hill
Scientist
26-Sep-1886 3-Jun-1977 Studied muscles and nerves
George W. Hill
Astronomer
3-Mar-1838 16-Apr-1914 A New Theorie of Jupiter and Saturn
Rowland Hill
Inventor
3-Dec-1795 27-Aug-1879 Invented the postage stamp
Sir Cyril Hinshelwood
Chemist
19-Jun-1897 9-Oct-1967 The Kinetics of Chemical Change
Peter B. Hirsch
Scientist
16-Jan-1925   Electron microscopy in metallurgy
Alan L. Hodgkin
Scientist
5-Feb-1914 20-Dec-1998 Electrical impulses in nerves
Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin
Chemist
12-May-1910 29-Jul-1994 Determined structure of Vitamin B12
Roald Hoffmann
Chemist
18-Jul-1937   Woodward-Hoffmann reaction
William Holder
Musicologist
1616 24-Jan-1698 Music theorist
Arthur Holmes
Geologist
14-Jan-1890 20-Sep-1965 Father of the geological timescale
Robert Hooke
Scientist
18-Jul-1635 3-Mar-1703 Law of Elasticity, microscopist
Joseph Dalton Hooker
Botanist
30-Jun-1817 10-Dec-1911 Genera Plantarum
Frederick Hopkins
Scientist
20-Jun-1861 16-May-1947 Discovered vitamins
Leonard Horner
Geologist
17-Jan-1785 5-Mar-1864 Scottish geologist, educator
Godfrey N. Hounsfield
Engineer
28-Aug-1919 12-Aug-2004 Computerized axial tomography (CAT scans)
Fred Hoyle
Astronomer
24-Jun-1915 20-Aug-2001 Opposed the Big Bang but named it
William Huggins
Astronomer
7-Feb-1824 12-May-1910 Spectrographic astronomy pioneer
Tim Hunt
Scientist
19-Feb-1943   Regulators of cell cycle
John Hunter
Doctor
13-Feb-1728 16-Oct-1793 English pathologist
Julian Huxley
Biologist
22-Jun-1887 14-Feb-1975 Evolutionary biologist
Thomas Henry Huxley
Scientist
24-May-1825 29-Jun-1895 Debated Wilberforce over evolution
Christiaan Huygens
Physicist
14-Apr-1629 8-Jul-1695 Wave theory of light
Alec Issigonis
Engineer
18-Nov-1906 2-Oct-1988 Designer of the Mini Cooper
Sir James Ivory
Mathematician
17-Feb-1765 21-Sep-1842 Ivory's Theorem
Henry B. Jackson
Military
21-Jan-1855 14-Dec-1929 Radio telegraphy
J. Hughlings Jackson
Doctor
4-Apr-1835 7-Oct-1911 Father of British neurology
François Jacob
Scientist
17-Jun-1920 19-Apr-2013 Operon theory of genetic control
James H. Jeans
Astronomer
11-Sep-1877 16-Sep-1946 Continuous creation theory
Edward Jenner
Doctor
17-May-1749 26-Jan-1823 Smallpox Vaccination
Niels K. Jerne
Scientist
23-Dec-1911 7-Oct-1994 Immune theory (anti-antibody)
Brian D. Josephson
Physicist
4-Jan-1940   Discovered the Josephson Effect
James Prescott Joule
Physicist
24-Dec-1818 11-Oct-1889 English physicist, Joule's Law
Heike Kamerlingh Onnes
Physicist
21-Sep-1853 21-Feb-1926 Liquefied helium and discovered superconductivity
Charles K. Kao
Scientist
4-Nov-1933   Fiber optics
Pyotr Kapitsa
Physicist
8-Jul-1894 8-Apr-1984 Discovered superfluidity
Jacobus C. Kapteyn
Astronomer
19-Jan-1851 18-Jun-1922 Star streaming
Theodore von Kármán
Mathematician
11-May-1881 7-May-1963 Krmn vortices
Paul Karrer
Chemist
21-Apr-1889 18-Jun-1971 Synthesized vitamins A, B2, E, and K
Bernard Katz
Scientist
26-Mar-1911 20-Apr-2003 Neurotransmitters and the pineal gland
Ephraim Katzir
Head of State
16-May-1916 30-May-2009 President of Israel, 1973-78
Lord Kelvin
Physicist
26-Jun-1824 17-Dec-1907 Illustrated 2nd Law of Thermodynamics
Nicholas Kemmer
Physicist
7-Dec-1911 21-Oct-1998 Nuclear weapons and reactors
John C. Kendrew
Chemist
24-Mar-1917 23-Aug-1997 Determined structure of myoglobin
Tom Kibble
Mathematician
23-Dec-1932   Zurek-Kibble theory
Aaron Klug
Chemist
11-Aug-1926   Structural analysis of viruses
Jeremy R. Knowles
Business
1935   Chemistry Professor, Harvard University
Donald E. Knuth
Computer Programmer
10-Jan-1938   The Art of Computer Programming
Walter Kohn
Chemist
9-Mar-1923   Density-functional theory
Arthur Kornberg
Scientist
3-Mar-1918 26-Oct-2007 Synthesized DNA
Hans Krebs
Scientist
25-Apr-1900 22-Nov-1981 Tricarboxylic acid cycle
August Krogh
Scientist
15-Nov-1874 13-Sep-1949 Discovered how capillaries regulate oxygen
Sir Harold Kroto
Chemist
7-Oct-1939   Co-Discovered fullerenes
Nicholas Kurti
Physicist
14-May-1908 24-Nov-1998 Molecular gastronomy
Edwin H. Land
Inventor
7-May-1909 1-Mar-1991 Polaroid Land Camera
Lev Landau
Physicist
22-Jan-1908 1-Apr-1968 Superfluidity of helium
Karl Landsteiner
Scientist
14-Jun-1868 26-Jun-1943 Discovered blood typing
Samuel P. Langley
Astronomer
22-Aug-1834 2-Feb-1906 Heavier-than-air flying machine
Irving Langmuir
Chemist
31-Jan-1881 16-Aug-1957 Inventor of the high-vacuum tube
Max von Laue
Physicist
9-Oct-1879 23-Apr-1960 X-ray crystallography
Joshua Lederberg
Biologist
23-May-1925 2-Feb-2008 Genetic properties of bacteria
Anton van Leeuwenhoek
Scientist
24-Oct-1632 26-Aug-1723 Master of the Microscope
Anthony J. Leggett
Physicist
26-Mar-1938   Particle physicist, explored superfluidity
Jean-Marie Lehn
Chemist
30-Sep-1939   Synthesis of molecules
Gottfried Leibniz
Mathematician
1-Jul-1646 14-Nov-1716 Co-Inventor of calculus
Luis Leloir
Chemist
6-Sep-1906 2-Dec-1987 Conversion of carbohydrates
Tullio Levi-Civita
Mathematician
29-Mar-1873 29-Dec-1941 Explored tensor calculus and PDE's
Edward B. Lewis
Scientist
20-May-1918 21-Jul-2004 Drosophila researcher, Nobel laureate
Frederick Lindemann
Government
5-Apr-1886 3-Jul-1957 Churchill's scientific and war advisor
Fritz Lipmann
Scientist
12-Jun-1899 24-Jul-1986 Carbohydrate oxidation
Gabriel Lippmann
Physicist
16-Aug-1845 13-Jul-1921 Photographic color plate
Joseph Lister
Doctor
5-Apr-1827 10-Feb-1912 Pioneer of antiseptic surgery
John Locke
Philosopher
29-Aug-1632 28-Oct-1704 An Essay Concerning Human Understanding
Otto Loewi
Scientist
3-Jun-1873 25-Dec-1961 Acetylcholine as a neurotransmitter
Hendrik Lorentz
Physicist
18-Jul-1853 4-Feb-1928 Electrons
Konrad Lorenz
Zoologist
7-Nov-1903 27-Feb-1989 Founder of modern ethology
Bernard Lovell
Astronomer
31-Aug-1913 6-Aug-2012 Radio astronomer at Jodrell Bank
André Lwoff
Scientist
8-May-1902 30-Sep-1994 Operon theory of genetic control
Charles Lyell
Geologist
14-Nov-1797 22-Feb-1875 Principles of Geology
Donald Lynden-Bell
Astronomer
5-Apr-1935   Astrophysicist at Cambridge
Charles Macintosh
Chemist
29-Dec-1766 25-Jul-1843 Invented the raincoat
John Macleod
Scientist
6-Sep-1876 16-Mar-1935 Helped discover insulin
George William Manby
Inventor
28-Nov-1765 18-Nov-1854 Invented the fire extinguisher
Peter Mansfield
Scientist
9-Oct-1933   Magnetic resonance imaging
Gideon Mantell
Geologist
3-Feb-1790 10-Nov-1852 English paleontologist and geologist
Rudolph A. Marcus
Chemist
21-Jul-1923   Electron-transfer reactions
George Perkins Marsh
Author
15-Mar-1801 23-Jul-1882 Ecologist and camel enthusiast
Archer J. P. Martin
Chemist
1-Mar-1910 28-Jul-2002 Partition chromatography
Charles Mason
Astronomer
Apr-1728 25-Oct-1786 Mason-Dixon Line
Harrie Massey
Astronomer
16-May-1908 27-Nov-1983 British National Committee for Space Research
Cotton Mather
Religion
12-Feb-1663 13-Feb-1728 Pastor at Boston North Church
Drummond Matthews
Geologist
5-Feb-1931 20-Jul-1997 Plate tectonics
Pierre-Louis Moreau de Maupertuis
Astronomer
28-Sep-1698 27-Jul-1759 Sur la figure de la terre
James Clerk Maxwell
Physicist
13-Jun-1831 5-Nov-1879 Maxwell's equations
John Maynard Smith
Biologist
6-Jan-1920 19-Apr-2004 Applied game theory to evolutionary biology
Barbara McClintock
Scientist
16-Jun-1902 2-Sep-1992 Discovered transposable genes
William McDougall
Psychologist
22-Jun-1871 28-Nov-1938 An Introduction to Social Psychology
Ilya Mechnikov
Scientist
16-May-1845 16-Jul-1916 Researched the immune system
Peter Medawar
Biologist
28-Feb-1915 2-Oct-1987 Acquired immunological tolerance
Lise Meitner
Physicist
7-Nov-1878 27-Oct-1968 Discovered nuclear fission
Edward Mellanby
Doctor
8-Apr-1884 30-Jan-1955 Rickets
Macedonio Melloni
Physicist
11-Apr-1798 11-Aug-1854 Diathermancy
Kurt Mendelssohn
Mathematician
7-Jan-1906 18-Sep-1980 Cryogenics and pyramids
Charles Messier
Astronomer
26-Jun-1730 12-Apr-1817 Cataloguer of M objects
Otto Meyerhof
Scientist
12-Apr-1884 6-Oct-1951 Glycogen-lactic acid cycle
Hartmut Michel
Chemist
18-Jul-1948   Proteins of photosynthesis
John Michell
Geologist
1724 21-Apr-1793 Phaenomena of Earthquakes
Albert A. Michelson
Physicist
19-Dec-1852 9-May-1931 Measured the speed of light
César Milstein
Scientist
8-Oct-1927 24-Mar-2002 Hybridoma technique (monoclonal antibodies)
Peter Mitchell
Chemist
29-Sep-1920 10-Apr-1992 ADP to ATP conversion in mitochondria
Keith Moffatt
Mathematician
12-Apr-1935   Fluid dynamics
Henri Moissan
Chemist
28-Sep-1852 20-Feb-1907 Isolated fluorine
Abraham de Moivre
Mathematician
26-May-1667 27-Nov-1754 Doctrine of Chances
Jacques Monod
Scientist
9-Feb-1910 31-May-1976 Operon theory of genetic control
Philip Moon
Physicist
17-May-1907 9-Oct-1994 Gamma ray fluorescence
Simon Conway Morris
Paleontologist
6-Nov-1951   Evolutionary paleobiologist
Alexander Muirhead
Physicist
26-May-1848 13-Dec-1920 Submarine cable telegraphy
Robert S. Mulliken
Chemist
7-Jun-1896 31-Oct-1986 Molecular orbital theory
Louis Néel
Physicist
22-Nov-1904 17-Nov-2000 Magnetic properties of solids
Walther Nernst
Chemist
25-Jun-1864 18-Nov-1941 Third Law of Thermodynamics
Simon Newcomb
Astronomer
12-Mar-1835 11-Jul-1909 Nautical Almanac
Isaac Newton
Physicist
4-Jan-1643 31-Mar-1727 Father of the clockwork universe
Ronald G. W. Norrish
Chemist
9-Nov-1897 7-Jun-1978 Rapid chemical processes
Konstantin Novoselov
Physicist
Aug-1974   Super-thin carbon physics
Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard
Scientist
20-Oct-1942   Embryonic development of fruit flies
Onora O'Neill
Philosopher
23-Aug-1941   President of the British Academy, 2005-09
Georg Simon Ohm
Physicist
16-Mar-1789 6-Jul-1854 Ohm's Law
Mark Oliphant
Physicist
8-Oct-1901 14-Jul-2000 Deuterium reactions
Ernst J. Öpik
Astronomer
23-Oct-1893 10-Sep-1985 Andromeda Nebula
Sir James Paget
Doctor
11-Jan-1814 20-Dec-1899 Father of modern pathology
Denis Papin
Inventor
22-Aug-1647 c. 1712 Steam engine innovator
Wolfgang Pauli
Physicist
25-Apr-1900 15-Dec-1958 Pauli Exclusion Principle
George Peacock
Mathematician
9-Apr-1791 8-Nov-1858 Treatise on Algebra
Rudolf Peierls
Physicist
5-Jun-1907 19-Sep-1995 Frisch-Peierls Memorandum
Benjamin Peirce
Mathematician
4-Apr-1809 10-Jun-1880 Idempotent and nilpotent
Roger Penrose
Mathematician
8-Aug-1931   Theory of cosmic censorship
Samuel Pepys
Author
23-Feb-1633 26-May-1703 London diarist
Jean Perrin
Physicist
30-Sep-1870 17-Apr-1942 Verified atomic nature of matter
Max F. Perutz
Chemist
19-May-1914 6-Feb-2002 X-Ray analysis of hemoglobin
John Pethica
Physicist
1953   Atomic force microscopy
William Pitt the Elder
Head of State
15-Nov-1708 11-May-1778 Seven Years War
Max Planck
Physicist
23-Apr-1858 4-Oct-1947 Originator of quantum theory
Julius Plücker
Mathematician
16-Jul-1801 22-May-1868 Analytical geometry
John C. Polanyi
Chemist
23-Jan-1929   Infrared chemiluminescence
Martyn Poliakoff
Physicist
16-Dec-1947   The Periodic Table of Videos
John A. Pople
Chemist
31-Oct-1925 15-Mar-2004 Quantum mechanics of molecules
Karl Popper
Philosopher
28-Jul-1902 17-Sep-1994 Critical Rationalist
George Porter
Chemist
6-Dec-1920 31-Aug-2002 Rapid chemical and biological processes
Rodney R. Porter
Scientist
8-Oct-1917 6-Sep-1985 Chemical structure of antibodies
George H. Poste
Biologist
c. 1944   Health Technology Networks
Cecil Powell
Physicist
5-Dec-1903 9-Aug-1969 Discovered the pi-meson
Vladimir Prelog
Chemist
23-Jul-1906 7-Jan-1998 Stereochemistry of enzyme-catalysts
Joseph Priestley
Chemist
13-Mar-1733 6-Feb-1804 Investigated gases, discovered Oxygen
Joseph Proudman
Mathematician
30-Dec-1888 26-Jun-1975 Tidal currents
Stanley B. Prusiner
Scientist
28-May-1942   Prions
Reginald Punnett
Biologist
20-Jun-1875 3-Jan-1967 Early geneticist
E. M. Purcell
Physicist
30-Aug-1912 7-Mar-1997 Nuclear magnetic resonance
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan
Scientist
1952   Ribosomes
Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman
Physicist
7-Nov-1888 21-Nov-1970 Discovered the Raman Effect
Srinivasa Ramanujan
Mathematician
22-Dec-1887 26-Apr-1920 Self-educated mathematician
Santiago Ramón y Cajal
Doctor
1-May-1852 17-Oct-1934 Structure of the nervous system
Sir William Ramsay
Chemist
2-Oct-1852 23-Jul-1916 Discovered noble gases
C. N. R. Rao
Chemist
30-Jun-1934   Chemistry of superconductivity
Lord Rayleigh
Physicist
12-Nov-1842 30-Jun-1919 Why the sky is blue
Martin Rees
Astronomer
23-Jun-1942   President of the Royal Society
Tadeus Reichstein
Scientist
20-Jul-1897 1-Aug-1996 Adrenocortical hormones
Owen Willans Richardson
Physicist
26-Apr-1879 15-Feb-1959 Electron emissions of metals
David Rittenhouse
Astronomer
8-Apr-1732 26-Jun-1796 Early Pennsylvania scientist and statesman
Sir Robert Robinson
Chemist
13-Sep-1886 8-Feb-1975 Researcher of alkaloids
Peter Mark Roget
Author
18-Jan-1779 12-Sep-1869 Roget's Thesaurus
Ronald Ross
Scientist
13-May-1857 16-Sep-1932 Discovered malaria parasite in mosquitoes
Joseph Rotblat
Physicist
4-Nov-1908 31-Aug-2005 Nuclear physicist, anti-nuke activist
F. Sherwood Rowland
Chemist
28-Jun-1927 10-Mar-2012 Ozone depletion
Henry Augustus Rowland
Physicist
27-Nov-1848 16-Apr-1901 Studied optics, magnetism, etc.
Benjamin Count Rumford
Scientist
26-Mar-1753 21-Aug-1814 Established the Rumford Medal
Bertrand Russell
Mathematician
18-May-1872 2-Feb-1970 Mathematician, atheist, and social critic
Henry Norris Russell
Astronomer
25-Oct-1877 18-Feb-1957 Giant stars and dwarfs
Ernest Rutherford
Physicist
30-Aug-1871 19-Oct-1937 Father of nuclear physics
Leopold Ruzicka
Chemist
13-Sep-1887 26-Sep-1976 Terpenes and hormones
Martin Ryle
Astronomer
27-Sep-1918 14-Oct-1984 Radio astronomer
Paul Sabatier
Chemist
5-Nov-1854 14-Aug-1941 Heterogeneous catalysis
Abdus Salam
Physicist
29-Jan-1926 21-Nov-1996 Electroweak Theory
Paul Samuelson
Economist
15-May-1915 13-Dec-2009 Theory of revealed preference
Allan R. Sandage
Astronomer
18-Jun-1926 13-Nov-2010 Quasars and Hubble-Sandage variable stars
Frederick Sanger
Chemist
13-Aug-1918 19-Nov-2013 Two-time Nobel laureate in chemistry
Wallace Sargent
Astronomer
15-Feb-1935 29-Oct-2012 Astrophysicist at CalTech
Erwin Schrödinger
Physicist
12-Aug-1887 4-Jan-1961 Schrdinger's wave equation
Martin Schwarzschild
Astronomer
31-May-1912 10-Apr-1997 Structure and Evolution of the Stars
Michael Seaton
Astronomer
16-Jun-1923 29-May-2007 Opacity Project
Nikolay Semyonov
Chemist
15-Apr-1896 25-Sep-1986 Combustion, explosions, and chemical kinetics
Claude Shannon
Scientist
30-Apr-1916 24-Feb-2001 Pioneer in information theory
Charles Sherrington
Doctor
27-Nov-1857 4-Mar-1952 Neurons and synapses
David Shoenberg
Physicist
4-Jan-1911 10-Mar-2004 Physicist at Cambridge
Manne Siegbahn
Physicist
3-Dec-1886 26-Sep-1978 X-Ray spectroscopy
Sir Hans Sloane
Curator
16-Apr-1660 11-Jan-1753 Milk chocolate and the British Museum
Adam Smith
Economist
5-Jun-1723 17-Jul-1790 The Wealth of Nations
Oliver Smithies
Scientist
23-Jun-1925   Knock-out mice
James Smithson
Chemist
1765 27-Jun-1829 Chemist, funded the Smithsonian Institution
Frederick Soddy
Chemist
2-Sep-1877 22-Sep-1956 Isotopes
Arnold Sommerfeld
Physicist
5-Dec-1868 26-Apr-1951 Fine-structure constant
Harold Spencer Jones
Astronomer
29-Mar-1890 3-Nov-1960 10th Royal Astronomer of England
Roger W. Sperry
Scientist
20-Aug-1913 17-Apr-1994 "Split brain" hemispheric neurophysiology
Robert Stephenson
Engineer
16-Oct-1803 12-Oct-1859 Builder of railroad bridges
Patrick Steptoe
Doctor
9-Jun-1913 21-Mar-1988 In vitro fertilization
Ian Stewart
Mathematician
24-Sep-1945   Catastrophe theory
George Gabriel Stokes
Physicist
13-Aug-1819 1-Feb-1903 Fluid dynamicist, optic waves
William Stukeley
Historian
7-Nov-1687 3-Mar-1765 Stonehenge, a Temple Restored
Eduard Suess
Geologist
20-Aug-1831 26-Apr-1914 Das Antlitz der Erde
John E. Sulston
Scientist
27-Mar-1942   Genetic regulation of organ development
The Svedberg
Chemist
30-Aug-1884 25-Feb-1971 Inventor of the ultracentrifuge
Sir Joseph Wilson Swan
Physicist
31-Oct-1828 27-May-1914 Light bulb, photographic printing
Richard L. M. Synge
Chemist
28-Oct-1914 18-Aug-1994 Partition chromatography
Terence Tao
Mathematician
17-Jul-1975   Prolific math prodigy
Henry Taube
Chemist
30-Nov-1915 16-Nov-2005 Mechanisms of electron transfer
Brook Taylor
Mathematician
18-Aug-1685 29-Dec-1731 Calculus of Finite Differences
Richard E. Taylor
Physicist
2-Nov-1929   Verified existence of quarks
Thomas Telford
Engineer
9-Aug-1757 2-Sep-1834 Scottish canal, bridge, and road builder
Hugo Theorell
Scientist
6-Jul-1903 15-Aug-1982 Oxidation enzymes
D'Arcy Thompson
Biologist
2-May-1860 21-Jun-1948 On Growth and Form
George Paget Thomson
Physicist
3-May-1892 10-Sep-1975 Diffraction of electrons
J. J. Thomson
Physicist
18-Dec-1856 30-Aug-1940 Discovered the electron
Shirley M. Tilghman
Educator
17-Sep-1946   President of Princeton University
Stephen Timoshenko
Engineer
23-Dec-1878 29-May-1972 Mechanical engineering professor at Stanford
Nikolaas Tinbergen
Zoologist
15-Apr-1907 21-Dec-1988 Grand Master of Ethology
Arne Tiselius
Chemist
10-Aug-1902 29-Aug-1971 Electrophoresis
Alexander R. Todd
Chemist
2-Oct-1907 10-Jan-1997 Nucleic acid, nucleotides
Charles H. Townes
Physicist
28-Jul-1915 27-Jan-2015 Invention of the maser and laser
John Townsend
Mathematician
7-Jun-1868 16-Feb-1957 Electron's charge
G. M. Trevelyan
Historian
16-Feb-1876 21-Jul-1962 England under Queen Anne
Edward Troughton
Inventor
Oct-1753 12-Jun-1835 Early scientific instruments
Roger Y. Tsien
Scientist
1-Feb-1952   Green Fluorescent Protein
Herbert Hall Turner
Astronomer
13-Aug-1861 20-Aug-1930 Stellar positions
Edward Tylor
Anthropologist
2-Oct-1832 2-Jan-1917 Founder of cultural anthropology
Harold C. Urey
Chemist
29-Apr-1893 5-Jan-1981 Discovered Deuterium
John H. van Vleck
Physicist
13-Mar-1899 27-Oct-1980 Quantum theory of paramagnetism
John R. Vane
Scientist
29-Mar-1927 19-Nov-2004 Prostaglandins
John Venn
Mathematician
4-Aug-1834 4-Apr-1923 Venn diagrams
Frederick Vine
Geologist
17-Jun-1939   Plate tectonics
John E. Walker
Chemist
7-Jan-1941   ATP process
John Wallis
Mathematician
23-Nov-1616 28-Oct-1703 Arithmetica Infinitorum
Otto Warburg
Scientist
8-Oct-1883 1-Aug-1970 Effect of oxygen on cancer
Robert Watson-Watt
Physicist
13-Apr-1892 5-Dec-1973 Radar
James Watt
Inventor
19-Jan-1736 19-Aug-1819 Invented modern steam engine
Wilhelm Weber
Physicist
24-Oct-1804 23-Jun-1891 Student of electromagnetism
Steven Weinberg
Physicist
3-May-1933   Electroweak Theory
Arthur Wellesley
Military
1-May-1769 14-Sep-1852 1st Duke of Wellington
Charles Wheatstone
Physicist
6-Feb-1802 19-Oct-1875 Inventor of the telegraph
Alfred North Whitehead
Mathematician
15-Feb-1861 30-Dec-1947 Metaphysical mathematician
Heinrich Wieland
Chemist
4-Jun-1877 5-Aug-1957 Studied acids of bile
Eugene Wigner
Physicist
17-Nov-1902 1-Jan-1995 Law of conservation of parity
Andrew Wiles
Mathematician
11-Apr-1953   Proved Fermat's Last Theorem
John Wilkes
Politician
17-Oct-1725 26-Dec-1797 Colorful London radical
John Wilkins
Author
1614 19-Nov-1672 Essay towards a Real Character
Geoffrey Wilkinson
Chemist
14-Jul-1921 26-Sep-1996 Organometallic "sandwich" compounds
Robert Willan
Doctor
12-Nov-1757 17-Apr-1812 Dermatologist, On cutaneous diseases
Richard Willstätter
Chemist
13-Aug-1872 3-Aug-1942 Plant pigments
C. T. R. Wilson
Physicist
14-Feb-1869 15-Nov-1959 Cloud chamber
Edward O. Wilson
Biologist
10-Jun-1929   Father of Sociobiology
William Hyde Wollaston
Chemist
6-Aug-1766 22-Dec-1828 Discovered palladium, rhodium
Robert B. Woodward
Chemist
10-Apr-1917 8-Jul-1979 Synthesized cholesterol, Vitamin B12, etc.
Christopher Wren
Architect
20-Oct-1632 25-Feb-1723 Designed St. Paul's Cathedral
Kurt Wüthrich
Chemist
4-Oct-1938   Magnetic resonance spectroscopy
John Zachary Young
Zoologist
18-Mar-1907 4-Jul-1997 British zoological neurologist
Thomas Young
Physicist
13-Jun-1773 10-May-1829 Wave Theory of Light
John Winthrop the Younger
Politician
12-Feb-1606 5-Apr-1676 Governor of Colonial Connecticut
Hideki Yukawa
Physicist
23-Jan-1907 8-Sep-1981 Predicted existence of mesons
Ahmed H. Zewail
Chemist
26-Feb-1946   Femtochemistry
Karl Ziegler
Chemist
26-Nov-1898 12-Aug-1973 Researcher in plastics




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