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1831
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Born 13 June, 14 India Street
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1833
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Moved to Glenlair
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1841
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Enrolled, Edinburgh Academy
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1846
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Maxwell’s first paper “On the description of oval curves and those having a plurality of foci” Proc Roy Soc Edinburgh, Vol. II
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1847-50
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Studied, University of Edinburgh
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1850
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Entered Peterhouse College, Cambridge - after one term migrated to Trinity College
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1854
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Mathematical Tripos – 2nd Wrangler and First (Equal) Smith’s Prizeman
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1856-60
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Appointed Professor Physics at Marischal College, Aberdeen
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1856
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Elected Fellow Royal Society Edinburgh (FRSE) aged 24
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1857
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Essay on “The Stability of Saturn’s Rings” won the Adams Prize, University of Cambridge
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1860
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Paper “Illustrations of the Dynamical Theory of Gasses” where the Maxwell-Bolzman distribution for velocities in a gas are derived
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1860-65
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Appointed Professor at Kings College, London
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1860
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Awarded Rumford Medal, Royal Society
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1861
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Royal Institution, first demonstration on colour reproduction
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1861
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Elected Fellow Royal Society (FRS) shortly before 30th birthday
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1861/2
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“On physical lines of force”, Phil. Mag. Vols. 21 & 23. Calculates that electric and magnetic effects travel at speed of light and states “..we can scarcely avoid the inference that light consists in the transverse undulations of the same medium which is the cause of electric and magnetic phenomena.”
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1864
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Famous oral presentation: “Dynamical theory of the electromagnetic field” presented to Royal Society containing ‘Maxwell’s Equations’ states “.. that it seems we have strong reason to conclude that light itself (including radiant heat and other radiations if any) is an electromagnetic disturbance in the form of waves propagated ……according the electromagnetic laws”
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1865
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Above paper, “Dynamical theory of the electromagnetic field”, formally published in Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., Vol. CLV, London
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1866
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Bakerian Lecture of the Royal Society: “On the viscosity or internal friction of air and other gases”, Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. (Vol. CLVI) London. Includes measurements made in his London attic
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1868
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“On a method of making a direct comparison of electrostatic with electromagnetic force; with a note on the electromagnetic theory of light”, Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. (Vol. CLVIII) London, Includes consequence of definitions of electromagnetic and electrostatic units of electric charge which makes their ratio equal to the speed of light
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1868
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“On governors”, Proc. Roy. Soc. (Vol. XVI) London. First mathematical treatment of feedback leading to control theory and cybernetics
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1869
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Awarded Keith Prize, Royal Society of Edinburgh
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1870
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“On reciprocal figures, frames and diagrams of forces”, Trans. Roy. Soc. Edinburgh Vol. 26. This follow-up to a paper by G B Airy on elasticity led to award (see above) of RSE Keith Medal
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1870
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“On hills and dales”, Phil. Mag. Vol. 40. An early contribution to the mathematics of topology
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1870
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Awarded Doctor of Law (LLD), University of Edinburgh
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1870
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Awarded Hopkins Prize, University of Cambridge
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1870
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Published his textbook “Theory of Heat”
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1871
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Directed and established Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, as First Professor of Experimental Physics
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1871
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Second lecture on colour at Royal Institution: “On colour vision”
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1873
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Publication of his “Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism“, Oxford University Press
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1874
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Elected Foreign Honorary Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Boston
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1875
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Elected Member of American Philosophical Society of Philadelphia
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1875
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Elected Corresponding Member, Royal Society of Sciences of Göttingen
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1876
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Awarded Doctor of Civil Law (DCL), University of Oxford
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1876
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Elected Honorary Member, New York Academy of Sciences
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1877
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Published book ‘Matter and Motion’
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1877
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Elected Member, Royal Academy of Sciences of Amsterdam
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1877
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Elected Foreign Corresponding Member, Mathematico-Natural-Science Class of the Imperial Academy of Sciences of Vienna
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1878
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Delivers Rede Lecture at Cambridge: “The Telephone”
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1878
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Volta Medal, Doctor of Sciences honoris causa, University of Pavia
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1879
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Dies of stomach cancer on 5 November, buried Parton, Castle Douglas
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2008
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Edinburgh statue unveiled
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