Origins & Early Life

John Tyndall (; 2 August 1820 – 4 December 1893) was an Irish physicist. His scientific fame arose in the 1850s from his study of diamagnetism. Later he made discoveries in the realms of infrared radiation and the physical properties of air, proving the connection between atmospheric CO2 and what is now known as the greenhouse effect in 1859. Tyndall also published more than a dozen science books which brought state-of-the-art 19th century experimental physics to a wide audience.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

From 1853 to 1887 he was professor of physics at the Royal Institution of Great Britain in London. He was elected as a member to the American Philosophical Society in 1868. Tyndall was born in Leighlinbridge, County Carlow, Ireland. His father was a local police constable, descended from Gloucestershire emigrants who settled in southeast Ireland around 1670. Tyndall attended the local schools (Ballinabranna Primary School) in County Carlow until his late teens, and was probably an assistant teacher near the end of his time there.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Subjects learned at school notably included technical drawing and mathematics with some applications of those subjects to land surveying. He was hired...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Benjamin Henry Latrobe — Contemporary (Died in 1820) (1820): Pioneering American Neoclassical Architect, known for the U.S. Capitol.
• Daniel Boone — Contemporary (Died in 1820) (1820): American pioneer and frontiersman famous for settling Kentucky and blazing the Wilderness Road.
• Friedrich Engels — Contemporary (Born in 1820) (1820): German philosopher and revolutionary socialist, co-author of The Communist Manifesto.
• Chaïm Soutine — Contemporary (Born in 1893) (1893): Belarusian-Jewish Expressionist painter of the School of Paris, known for raw emotional texture.
• Claire Lee Chennault — Contemporary (Born in 1893) (1893): Pioneering American aviator, famed for leading the 'Flying Tigers' in WWII.
• Conrad Veidt — Contemporary (Born in 1893) (1893): German and British character actor known for early silent film roles.
• Ahmad ibn Hanbal — Shared historical date (08-02 · Died) (855): Founding scholar of the Hanbali school, renowned for vast Hadith memorization.
• Alexander Graham Bell — Shared historical date (08-02 · Died) (1922): Pioneering inventor credited with patenting the first practical telephone.
• Albert Bandura — Shared historical date (12-04 · Born) (1925): Pioneering psychologist known for Social Cognitive Theory and self-efficacy.
• Ali Abdullah Saleh — Shared historical date (12-04 · Died) (2017): Yemeni military officer and politician who served as President of Yemen from 1990 to 2012.
• 1820 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1820
• August 2 (08-02) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on August 2
• 1893 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1893
• December 4 (12-04) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on December 4