Biography j.j. thompson

(1856-1940)

Who Was J.J. Thomson?

J.J. Thomson attended Trinity College at Cambridge, where he would come to head the Cavendish Laboratory.

Biography j.j. thompson

His research in cathode rays led to the discovery of the electron, and he pursued further innovations in atomic structure exploration. Thomson won the 1906 Nobel Prize in Physics, among many accolades.

Early Life and Education

Joseph John Thomson, who was always called J.J., was born in Cheetham Hill, England, near Manchester, in 1856.

His father was a bookseller who planned for Thomson to be an engineer. When an apprenticeship at an engineering firm couldn't be found, Thomson was sent to bide his time at Owens College at the age of 14. In 1876, he received a small scholarship to attend Trinity College at Cambridge to study mathematics.

Thomson worked in the Cavendish Laboratory after graduation, under the tutelage of Lord Rayleigh.

He quickly earned a membership in the prestigious Royal Society and was appointed Rayleigh’