J.J. Thomson
1856–1940 · British · Victorian Era / Early Modern
Known for: Discovered the electron, proving atoms have internal structure
J.J. Thomson discovered the electron in 1897 using cathode ray experiments—proving that atoms are not indivisible as Dalton thought, but contain smaller, negatively charged particles. He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1906.
His Cavendish Laboratory became the most productive physics lab in history. Seven of his research assistants won Nobel Prizes. His son George also won a Nobel—for proving that electrons are waves, not just particles (the opposite of his father's discovery).
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