Born: 12 November 1842 · Died: 30 June 1919 · Age at death: 76
How old was John William Strutt when he died?
John William Strutt died aged 76. He was born on 12 November 1842 and died on 30 June 1919.
Nobel Prize-winning physicist who co-discovered the element argon
Did you know?He explained why the sky appears blue through his theory of light scattering, a phenomenon now named after him.
Quick facts
Date of birth12 November 1842
Date of death30 June 1919
Age at death76
NationalityBritish
BirthplaceLangford Grove, United Kingdom
Occupationphysicist, politician, university teacher
Editor's Take:
Lord Rayleigh showed that an aristocrat with a country estate could also be one of the finest physicists of his age. Much of his work was done in a private laboratory at his home in Essex. He explained how tiny particles in the air scatter blue light more strongly than red. His careful measurements of nitrogen revealed a small discrepancy, which led to the discovery of argon. His book on sound is still cited by acoustics researchers. He also served as president of the Royal Society and as chancellor of Cambridge University.
Key Milestones
1871: Explains the scattering of light by small particles
1877: Publishes The Theory of Sound
1894: Discovers argon with William Ramsay
1904: Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics
John William Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh ( RAY-lee; 12 November 1842 – 30 June 1919), was a British physicist and hereditary peer who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1904 for his discovery of argon.
