Science · Politics · 1842–1919

John William Strutt — Age, Birthday & Biography

Born: 12 November 1842 · Died: 30 June 1919 · Age: 76

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

  1. 1871: Explains the scattering of light by small particles
  2. 1877: Publishes The Theory of Sound
  3. 1894: Discovers argon with William Ramsay
  4. 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.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Profile

Lord Rayleigh: The Physicist Who Explained the Blue Sky

British physicist, born 1842

John William Strutt was born in Langford Grove on 12 November 1842.

He explained why the sky is blue through the theory now called Rayleigh scattering.

He discovered the gas argon with William Ramsay in 1894.

He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1904.

Career highlights

  1. 1871Blue sky: publishes scattering theory
  2. 1873Peerage: becomes 3rd Baron Rayleigh
  3. 1877Theory of Sound: first volume published
  4. 1894Argon: discovered with William Ramsay
  5. 1904Nobel: wins the physics prize

Did you know?He succeeded James Clerk Maxwell as Cavendish Professor of Physics at Cambridge in 1879.

Age at death
76
Years since death
107

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Frequently asked questions

When is John William Strutt's birthday?
John William Strutt's birthday is November 12. He was born on November 12, 1842 in Langford Grove, United Kingdom.
How old was John William Strutt when he died?
John William Strutt died on June 30, 1919, aged 76.
Who shares a birthday with John William Strutt?
Famous people who share John William Strutt's November 12 birthday include Sun Yat-sen, Auguste Rodin, Hassan Rouhani, Grace Kelly and Anne Hathaway.

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Reviewed by the Who Shares My Birthday editorial team.

Last reviewed: October 2026