Thomas Young
June 13, 1773 –May 10, 1829
Astronomer, Physicist, Anthropologist, Physician, Archaeologist, University teacher
Lived 55 years
- Born in
- Milverton
- Passed away in
- London
Thomas Young (13 June 1773 – 10 May 1829) was a British polymath who made notable contributions to the fields of vision, light, solid mechanics, energy, physiology, language, musical harmony, and Egyptology. He was instrumental in the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs, specifically the Rosetta Stone.
Young's work influenced that of William Herschel, Hermann von Helmholtz, James Clerk Maxwell, and Albert Einstein. Young is credited with establishing Christiaan Huygens' wave theory of light, in contrast to the corpuscular theory of Isaac Newton. Young's work was subsequently supported by the work of Augustin-Jean Fresnel.
Notable works: double-slit experiment, Wave theory of light, astigmatism, Young–Dupré Equation, Young–Helmholtz theory, Young–Laplace equation, Young temperament, Young's modulus Awards: Fellow of the Royal Society, Croonian Medal and Lecture, Royal Society Bakerian Medal, Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Education: University of Edinburgh, Emmanuel College, University of Göttingen, St Bartholomew's Medical College
Source: Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Young_(scientist)