Person    | Male  Born 22/9/1791  Died 25/8/1867

Michael Faraday

Categories: Science, Seriously Famous

Experimental physicist, especially electro-magnetics (remember Faraday's Law?). Born in Newington Butts but brought up near Oxford Street. Trained as a bookbinder and here he was given tickets to some Davy lectures at the Royal Institution. This experience caused him to take up a scientific career, a novel idea in those days. Davy gave him a job as a laboratory assistant with accommodation at the RI, where he lived and worked, 1813 – 1858. The British Society for the History of Mathematics lists his achievements there. Invented the electric motor dynamo, designed the Bunsen burner, discovered electro-magnetic induction. Throughout his life he was an active member of a small Christian sect, the Sandemanian church, in which his parents had raised him. Died at home at The Green, Hampton Court, the grace and favour house to which he had moved in 1858, provided for him by Queen Victoria. Buried in Highgate cemetery.

A 2007 publication 'Maths Trails' states "There is a Southwark plaque on the south side of the Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre, near the Butts pub, but almost concealed by a large billboard just above it." We've repeatedly looked for this and cannot find one that meets the description but we think it might be this plaque, moved into a better position.

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Michael Faraday

Commemorated ati

Faraday on the ICI building entrance doors

These doors are in the centre of the river frontage of the building. Mapping...

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Michael Faraday - Larcom Street

Michael Faraday, 1791 - 1867, scientific genius and discoverer of electromagn...

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Michael Faraday memorial - substation

Michael Faraday (1791 - 1867) This stainless steel sculpture commemorates Eng...

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Michael Faraday - N7 - M.F.

This extremely unusual memorial is a brass plate, only 4 or 5 inches across, ...

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Michael Faraday - N7 - plaque

This plaque was first erected in the Sandemanian Chapel, at the same time, 19...

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Other Subjects

scientific life assurance

scientific life assurance

Equitable Life, the world's oldest mutual insurer, started business in 1762 in the parsonage of St Nicholas Acons in Nicholas Lane. It pioneered scientific life assurance by basing premiums on age ...

Concept, Commerce, Science

1 memorial
Sir William Henry Perkin, FRS

Sir William Henry Perkin, FRS

Chemist.  Born King David's Lane, Shadwell.  While a student at the Royal College of Chemistry, aged 18 he discovered the first aniline dyestuff while working in his home laboratory.   He dropped o...

Person, Science

1 memorial
Guglielmo Marconi

Guglielmo Marconi

Born Bologna. Arrived in London, with his mother, in 1896 to patent his method of communication without wires. In 1897 he established the Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company, which survived und...

Person, Science, Seriously Famous, TV & Radio, Italy

4 memorials
Earl of Rosse, William Parsons

Earl of Rosse, William Parsons

Amateur astronomer. One of the Commissioners for the Great Exhibition, 1951.Born York.

Person, Science, Ireland

1 memorial
René Descartes

René Descartes

Philosopher, mathematician, and writer who spent most of his adult life in the Netherlands.

Person, Philosophy, Science, France, Netherlands

1 memorial