Democritus (/dmkrts/; Greek: , Dmkritos, meaning

"chosen of the people"; c. 460 c. 370 BC) was an influential Ancient

Greek pre-Socratic philosopher primarily remembered today for his
formulation of an atomic theory of the universe.
Democritus was born in Abdera, Thrace, around 460 BC, although, some
thought it was 490 BC. His exact contributions are difficult to disentangle
from those of his mentor Leucippus, as they are often mentioned together
in texts. Their speculation on atoms, taken from Leucippus, bears a passing
and partial resemblance to the 19th-century understanding of atomic structure that has led
some to regard Democritus as more of a scientist than other Greek philosophers; however, their
ideas rested on very different bases. Largely ignored in ancient Athens, Democritus is said to
have been disliked so much by Plato that the latter wished all of his books burned. He was
nevertheless well known to his fellow northern-born philosopher Aristotle. Many consider
Democritus to be the "father of modern science".None of his writings have survived; only
fragments are known from his vast body of work
.
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and scientist, better known as the teacher
of Alexander the Great. He was a student of Plato and is considered an
important figure in Western Philosophy. Famous for his writings on physics,
metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics,
government, ethics, biology, and zoology, he is considered much ahead of his
time. His writings constitute the first comprehensive system of Western
philosophy which includes views about morality and aesthetics, logic and
science, politics and metaphysics. This system became the supporting pillar of
both Islamic and Christian scholastic thought. It is even said that he was
perhaps the last man who had the knowledge of all the known fields at that time. His
intellectual knowledge ranged from every known field of science and arts of that era. His writing
includes work in physics, chemistry, biology, zoology, botany, psychology, political theory, logic,
metaphysics, history, literary theory and rhetoric. One of his greatest achievements was
formulating a finished system also known as Aristotelian syllogistic. His other significant
contribution was towards the development of zoology. It is true that Aristotles zoology is now
obsolete but his work and contribution was unchallenged till the 19th century. His contribution
towards almost all subjects on earth and its influence makes him one of the most famous and
top personalities of all time.

Considered to be the father of modern atomic theory, John Dalton was also a
pioneer of weather forecast and was one of the first scientists to use
homemade instruments to make weather observations. Much of his early
works and observations using meteorological instruments laid the foundation
for the study of weather forecasting. His fascination for the weather and
atmosphere lead him to pursue research on the nature of gases, which in
turn laid the ground on which he built the atomic theory. Today, he is known
primarily for his work on atomic theory and although more than two centuries old, his theory
still remains valid in the field of modern chemistry. Inquisitive by nature, his diligent research
and meddlesome nature led him to make many discoveries in fields other than chemistry. He
also made a study on colour-blindness, a condition from which he personally suffered. A non-
conformist and dissenter, Dalton refused to accept much of his deserved fame and recognition
and chose to live a simple and modest life. Today, his theories help modern scuba divers gauge
oceanic pressure levels and have also facilitated cost-effective manufacturing of chemical
compounds. To learn more interesting facts about his personal life and professional
achievements, scroll down and continue to read this biography.
 J.J. Thomson was an English physicist and mathematician. Thomson
was a child prodigy who first went to college at the age of 14 and
continued his progression to become one of the most gifted scientists
of his generation. Thomson became the Cavendish Professor of
Experimental Physics at the University of Cambridge at a very young
age but he made his greatest achievement when he did a detailed
study of cathode rays and proved the existence of the electron in
atoms; that would go on to have far reaching effects in the study of the
natural sciences. Thomson also delivered lectures at some of the leading universities in the
world like Princeton University and Yale University as a guest which further enhanced his
reputation as a scientist of rare gift. Other than the Nobel Prize in Physics, Thomson went on to
win several other important medals throughout a career that produced scientific discoveries that
would shape scientific research for many years.

Ernest Rutherford was a New Zealand physicist popularly known as the

father of nuclear physics. He received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in
1908 for his investigations into the disintegration of the elements, and
the chemistry of radioactive substances. He established the fact that
radioactivity involved the nuclear transformation of one chemical
element to another. He also identified and named the Alpha and Beta
radiations. He named the Gamma rays as well. The Rutherford model of
the atom was introduced when he theorized that atoms have their charge concentrated in a
very small nucleus. He conducted experiments that resulted in the first splitting of the atom in
1917; during the process he discovered and named the proton. Under his supervision as the
Director of the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge, his associate James
Chadwick proved his theorization of neutrons and soon after, the first experiment to split the
nucleus in a fully controlled manner was conducted by his students, John Cockcroft and Ernest
Walton. He was admitted to the Order of Merit in 1925, and was raised to the peerage as Lord
Rutherford of Nelson in 1931. The chemical element 104 - Rutherfordium has been named after
him.

Niels Bohr was a Noble Prize winning Danish physicist who did
pioneering work in quantum theory and in contributing to the
understanding of atomic structure. Born to a highly influential and well
educated famil, he is regarded as one of the most dominant physicists
of the 20th century. After earning his doctoral degree in physics, he
conducted an intensive research along with Ernest Rutherford on the
atomic structures. He formulated the first successful explanation of
some major lines of the hydrogen spectrum and his theory of the atom became the foundation
of modern atomic physics. His remarkable contribution to the understanding of the atomic
structure and quantum mechanics earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics. Among other things,
he also proposed the complementarity principle, which states that objects may have a dual
nature, similar to that of an electron which behaves both as a particle and a wave, but we can
only experience one aspect at a time. During World War II, he escaped arrest by German police
and eventually made it to the United States where he acted as a prominent part of the team of
physicists working on the Manhattan Project. He was also a noted humanitarian and after the

war, he spent the rest of his life advocating the peaceful use of nuclear energy .