May 24 In Physics History
Physics history will help you to develop a better understanding of the physics world!
birthdays & deaths
Explore all birthdays & deaths of physicists occurred on this day with their short biography!
physics Events
Know all important discoveries made by physicists & events happened on this day with complete information!
May 24 In Physics History - Births – Physicists born on May 24
Gabriel Fahrenheit (24 May 1686 - 16 Sep 1736)
He was a German-Dutch physicist and instrument maker who develop the Fahrenheit temperature scale. He invented the Mercury thermometer and alcohol thermometer. He used the temperature of an equal ice-salt mixture for the zero of his scale and 90° for normal body temperature. Later, he adjusted 212° for the boiling point of water and 32° for the freezing point. He discovered that each liquid had a different boiling point that depends on the atmospheric pressure.
William Whewell (24 May 1794 - 6 Mar 1866)
He was an English scholar and philosopher who founded mathematical crystallography and developed the revision of Friedrich Mohs’s classification of minerals. He is also known for creating scientific words and for his survey of scientific methods. He was the one who created the words physicist and scientist. He also designed a self-recording anemometer and he was second only to Isaac Newton forward on tidal theory. Many other useful words were coined by him to help his friends such as cathode, anode, diamagnetic, paramagnetic, and iron for Michael Faraday.
William Gilbert (24 May 1544 - 10 Dec 1603)
He is known as the “father of electrical studies” and an expert researcher in magnetism. He spent years investigating electrical and magnetic attractions and coined the names of electric force and magnetic poles. He discovered that the Earth acts like a bar magnet and noted that a compass needle points North. He believed in the same idea as Copernicus that the Earth rotates on its axis.
May 24 In Physics History - Deaths – Physicists died on May 24
Nicolaus Copernicus (19 Feb 1473 - 24 May 1543)
He was a polish astronomer who recognized that the Earth is a planet that decides to orbit the sun annually also turns once daily on its own axis. He also observed that the Earth moves slowly and changes the direction of its axis causing the precession of the equinoxes. He proposed the heliocentric model of the solar system. He wrote his brilliant ideas in a book that was completed in 1830 but was published after his death and in 1543. His book was banned by the Roman Catholic Church because of the contrast to religious dogma.
Alan Hazeltine (7 Aug 1886 - 24 May 1964)
He was an American electrical engineer and physicist whose effort in inventing the Neutrodyne Circuit made commercial radio possible. He designed a radio receiver for the US Navy during WWI. He invented Neutrodyne using neutralizing capacitors to eliminate the squeeze and holes of the early radio receivers. It was the first commercial receiver suited to general public reception and by 1927 more than 10 million of these receivers were used in the US.
Tom Bacon (21 Dec 1904 - 24 May 1992)
He was an English mechanical engineer who invented the first modern hydrogen-oxygen fuel cells. This fuel converts air and fuel directly into electricity electrochemically. Sir William Grove observed this principle when he supplied oxygen and hydrogen to platinum electrodes immersed in sulphuric acid producing current in an external circuit. Bacon began serious research for proposed application in submarines. He also developed a successful 6-kilowatt fuel cell in 1959.
May 24 In Physics History - Events – Physics Events of May 24
Pluto Got Its Name
On this day in 1930, the name chosen for the newly discovered ninth planet was Pluto. It was located on 13 March 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh. In mythology, Pluto was the ruler of the underworld regions of darkness.
Astronaut Orbited The Earth
On this day. astronaut Scott Carpenter orbited the earth as he flew aboard Aurora 7 and became the second American to do so in 1962. He was one of the Mercury Seven astronauts selected for NASA’s Project Mercury in April 1959. He reached the maximum altitude of 164 miles during his three revolutions of the earth. His spacecraft landed in the Atlantic Ocean after 4 hours and 54 minutes of flight time. He participated in the Navy’s sealab II program and became an aquanaut.
