Name: Ernest Rutherford

Famous For: Become known as the “father of nuclear physics”. In 1911, he was the first to discover that atomshave a small charged nucleus surrounded by largely empty space, and are circled by tiny electrons, which became known as the Rutherford model (or planetary model) of the atom. He is also credited with the discovery of the protonin 1919, and hypothesized the existence of the neutron. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1908 “for his investigations into the disintegration of the elements, and the chemistry of radioactive substances”.

Jobs: Chemist, Physicist

Birth Date: August 30, 1871

Death Date: October 19, 1937 (age 66)

Quote: “If your experiment needs statistics, you ought to have done a better experiment.”