Michael Faraday
1791–1867 · British · Victorian Era
Known for: Discovered electromagnetic induction, the foundation of electric generators and motors
Michael Faraday was the son of a blacksmith who became one of the greatest experimental scientists who ever lived. Self-educated through books he encountered as a bookbinder's apprentice, he discovered electromagnetic induction—the principle behind every electric generator and motor in the world. He also discovered the laws of electrolysis and pioneered the concept of electromagnetic fields.
He refused a knighthood, declined to develop chemical weapons for the Crimean War on moral grounds, and was personally incorruptible. Einstein kept Faraday's portrait on his wall alongside Newton's and Maxwell's.
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