Benjamin Thompson

Sir Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford (in German: Reichsgraf von Rumford), (26 March 1753 - 21 August 1814), was an Anglo-American physicist and inventor whose challenges to established physical theory were part of the 19th century revolution in thermodynamics.

Later life

After 1799, he divided his time between France and England. With Sir Joseph Banks, he established the Royal Institution of Great Britain in 1799. The pair chose Sir Humphry Davy as the first lecturer. He endowed the Rumford medals of the Royal Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and endowed a professorship at Harvard University.

Related Topics:
1799 - France - Sir Joseph Banks - Royal Institution - Great Britain - Sir Humphry Davy - Rumford medal - Royal Society - American Academy of Arts and Sciences - Harvard University

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1804, he married Marie-Anne Lavoisier, the widow of the great French chemist Antoine Lavoisier, his American wife having died since his emigration. They soon separated, but Thompson settled in Paris and continued his scientific work until his death.

Related Topics:
1804 - Marie-Anne Lavoisier - French - Chemist - Antoine Lavoisier - Paris

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~