Physics History: Discoveries in the 19th Century

Scientific Discoveries and Innovations

• Eugen Goldstein identified protons, positive particles from hydrogen gas tubes.
• Radioactive elements were discovered in the 19th century by various scientists.
• William Roentgen is credited with the discovery of X-rays.
• J.J. Thomson discovered the electron in 1897 using Crookes' tube within a magnetic field.
• Marie Curie and Pierre Curie advanced the study of radioactivity.

Communication Technology

• Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876.
• Elisha Gray, Philip Reis, and Thomas Edison enhanced the telegraph system.
• Philip Reis created the "Make-and-break" telephone.

Taxonomy and Paleontology

• Carolus Linnaeus, known as the "Father of Taxonomy," developed binomial nomenclature and published "Species Plantarum" (1753).
• Georges Cuvier was a key figure in paleontology, advocating for the Theory of Catastrophism (1813).
• Charles Lyell proposed Uniformitarianism, suggesting gradual geological changes over time.

Evolutionary Theory

• Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck proposed the Theory of Acquired Characteristics.
• Charles Darwin's "On the Origin of Species" (1859) introduced Natural Selection.
• Gregor Mendel, as the "Father of Genetics," established foundational concepts of inheritance.

Industrial Advancements

• The Industrial Revolution began in the 18th century, marking a shift from agriculture to industry.
• Technologies such as the blast furnace enabled mass production of iron and steel, vital for tools and infrastructure.
• Innovations in textiles included the spinning jenny and power loom, which revolutionized fabric production.

Transportation Innovations

• Steam engine development, especially by James Watt, transformed transportation by powered engines, both for riverboats and railways.
• George Stephenson, called the "Father of Railways," created locomotion vehicles, including the Rocket, reaching speeds up to 30 mph.

Technological Innovations in Science

• Charles-Augustin de Coulomb made significant contributions to electrodynamics and formulated Coulomb's Law.
• Joseph Priestley and Antoine Lavoisier contributed to the discovery and naming of oxygen and established the Law of Conservation of Mass.
• John Dalton proposed the Atomic Theory in 1803, emphasizing atoms as fundamental particles.

Electromagnetism and Energy

• Hans Christian Oersted discovered the connection between electric current and magnetic fields.
• Michael Faraday conducted pioneering work on electromagnetic induction.
• James Clerk Maxwell developed theories linking light, magnetism, and electricity.

20th Century Scientific Breakthroughs

• Max Planck introduced quantum theory in 1900, while Albert Einstein's theory of relativity expanded physics in 1905.
• Robert Goddard achieved the first successful rocket launch.
• James Chadwick discovered the neutron within the atomic nucleus.

Genetics and Medicine

• Francis Crick and James Watson proposed the double helix structure of DNA.
• Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, the first widely used antibiotic.
• Jonas Salk created the first polio vaccine, which was later improved by Albert Sabin.

Space Exploration

• In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first artificial satellite.
• NASA led significant space missions, including the Apollo program, which landed humans on the moon in 1961.