Michael Faraday Timeline

(September 22, 1791 – August 25, 1867)

Michael Faraday (1791–1867) was an English scientist whose pioneering experiments in electromagnetism and electrochemistry laid the foundations for modern electrical technology. Born into a poor family, he rose from bookbinder's apprentice to one of history's most influential physicists and chemists, discovering electromagnetic induction, diamagnetism, and electrolysis laws. More Less

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Early Life

Parents move to London from Westmorland

1790

James Faraday moved his wife, Margaret (née Hastwell), and two children to London during the winter of 1790 from Outhgill in Westmorland, where he had been an apprentice to the village blacksmith.

Birth of Michael Faraday

Sep 22, 1791

Michael Faraday was born on 22 September 1791 in Newington Butts, Surrey, which is now part of the London Borough of Southwark. He would grow up to become an English chemist and physicist who contributed vastly to the study of electrochemistry and electromagnetism.

Attends lectures by Humphry Davy and John Tatum

1812

In 1812, at the age of 20 and at the end of his apprenticeship, Faraday attended lectures by the eminent English chemist Humphry Davy of the Royal Institution and the Royal Society, and John Tatum, founder of the City Philosophical Society.

Marriage to Sarah Barnard

Jun 12, 1821

Faraday married Sarah Barnard (1800–1879) on 12 June 1821.

Image source: Michael Faraday

Nervous breakdown

1839

Faraday had a nervous breakdown in 1839 but eventually returned to his investigations into electromagnetism.

Scientific Discoveries

Decomposes sulfate of magnesia with electric current

Jul 12, 1812

Using a voltaic pile, Faraday passed electric current through a solution of sulfate of magnesia and succeeded in decomposing the chemical compound, recording the result in his first letter to Benjamin Abbott dated 12 July 1812.

First synthesis of carbon and chlorine compounds

1820

In 1820 Faraday reported the first synthesis of compounds made from carbon and chlorine, hexachloroethane and perchloroethylene, and published his results the following year.

Determines composition of chlorine clathrate hydrate

1820

Faraday determined the composition of the chlorine clathrate hydrate, a compound that had been discovered by Humphry Davy in 1810.

Davy and Wollaston fail to design an electric motor

1821

In 1821, soon after the Danish physicist and chemist Hans Christian Ørsted discovered the phenomenon of electromagnetism, Davy and William Hyde Wollaston tried, but failed, to design an electric motor. From his initial discovery in 1821, Faraday continued his laboratory work, exploring electromagnetic properties of materials.

Experiment on magnetic regulation of current fails

1824

In 1824, Faraday briefly set up a circuit to study whether a magnetic field could regulate the flow of a current in an adjacent wire, but he found no such relationship.

Discovery of electromagnetic induction

Oct 28, 1831

Two years after the death of Davy, in 1831, Faraday began his great series of experiments in which he discovered electromagnetic induction, recording in his laboratory diary on 28 October 1831 that he was 'making many experiments with the great magnet of the Royal Society'. As recorded by the Royal Institution, 'Faraday invented the generator in 1831 but it took nearly 50 years before all the technology came into common use'.

Image source: Electromagnetic induction

Investigates the fundamental nature of electricity

1832

In 1832, he completed a series of experiments aimed at investigating the fundamental nature of electricity; Faraday used 'static', batteries, and 'animal electricity' to produce the phenomena of electrostatic attraction, electrolysis, magnetism, etc.

Builds the Faraday cage experiment apparatus

Jan 1836

In January 1836, Faraday had put a wooden frame, 12 ft square, on four glass supports and added paper walls and wire mesh, conducting experiments that demonstrated the shielding effect now known as the Faraday cage.

Image source: Faraday cage

Discovery of diamagnetism

1845

In 1845, Faraday discovered that many materials exhibit a weak repulsion from a magnetic field: an effect he termed diamagnetism.

Image source: Diamagnetism

Magnetisation of light and the Faraday effect

Sep 1845

In September 1845 he wrote in his notebook, 'I have at last succeeded in illuminating a magnetic curve or line of force and in magnetising a ray of light', marking the discovery of the magneto-optical effect later known as the Faraday effect.

Image source: Faraday effect

Optical work on gold colloids and service to the National Gallery

1857

In 1857 he discovered that the optical properties of gold colloids differed from those of the corresponding bulk metal. He also advised the National Gallery on the cleaning and protection of its art collection, and served on the National Gallery Site Commission in 1857.

Image source: Colloidal gold

Optical work on gold colloids and service to the National Gallery

Spectroscopic search for magnetic effects on spectral lines

1862

Later on in his life, in 1862, Faraday used a spectroscope to search for a different alteration of light, the change of spectral lines by an applied magnetic field. Pieter Zeeman later used an improved apparatus to study the same phenomenon, publishing his results in 1897 and receiving the 1902 Nobel Prize in Physics for his success. In both his 1897 paper and his Nobel acceptance speech, Zeeman made reference to Faraday's work.

Image source: Zeeman effect

Career and Honors

Appointed Chemical Assistant at the Royal Institution

Mar 1, 1813

In 1813, when Davy damaged his eyesight in an accident with nitrogen trichloride, he decided to hire Michael Faraday as an assistant. As a result, Faraday was appointed Chemical Assistant at the Royal Institution on 1 March 1813.

Appointed Assistant Superintendent of the Royal Institution

1821

He was appointed Assistant Superintendent of the House of the Royal Institution in 1821.

Elected Fellow of the Royal Society

1824

Faraday was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1824. He twice refused to become President of the society.

Image source: Royal Society

Becomes Director of the Laboratory of the Royal Institution

1825

In 1825, he became Director of the Laboratory of the Royal Institution.

Image source: Royal Institution

Elected Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

1832

In 1832, Faraday was elected a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Image source: American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Oxford grants honorary Doctor of Civil Law degree

Jun 1832

In June 1832, the University of Oxford granted Faraday an honorary Doctor of Civil Law degree.

Image source: University of Oxford

Becomes first Fullerian Professor of Chemistry

1833

Six years after becoming Director of the Laboratory, in 1833, Faraday became the first Fullerian Professor of Chemistry at the Royal Institution of Great Britain, a position to which he was appointed for life without the obligation to deliver lectures.

Elected foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

1838

He was elected a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1838.

Image source: Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

Elected to the American Philosophical Society

1840

In 1840, he was elected to the American Philosophical Society.

Image source: American Philosophical Society

Elected to the French Academy of Sciences

1844

He was one of eight foreign members elected to the French Academy of Sciences in 1844.

Image source: French Academy of Sciences

Awarded grace and favour house at Hampton Court

1848

In 1848, as a result of representations by the Prince Consort, Faraday was awarded a grace and favour house in Hampton Court in Middlesex, free of all expenses and upkeep. In 1858 Faraday retired to live there.

Image source: Hampton Court Palace

Elected associated member of the Royal Institute of the Netherlands

1849

In 1849 he was elected as associated member to the Royal Institute of the Netherlands, which two years later became the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and he was subsequently made foreign member.

Image source: Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences

Elected associated member of the Royal Institute of the Netherlands

Public Service and Lectures

Delivers chemistry lectures for the City Philosophical Society

1816 - 1818

Before his famous Christmas lectures, Faraday delivered chemistry lectures for the City Philosophical Society from 1816 to 1818 in order to refine the quality of his lectures.

Founds the Friday Evening Discourses

1825

He founded the Friday Evening Discourses in 1825, where lecturers would present their latest research to members.

Lectures on The Rudiments of Chemistry

1841

Among Faraday's celebrated Christmas lectures at the Royal Institution were those on Chemistry and Electricity, including 1841: The Rudiments of Chemistry and 1843: First Principles of Electricity.

Image source: Royal Institution Christmas Lectures

Report on the Haswell colliery explosion

1846

In 1846, together with Charles Lyell, he produced a lengthy and detailed report on a serious explosion in the colliery at Haswell, County Durham, which killed 95 miners. The report should have warned coal owners of the hazard of coal dust explosions, but the risk was ignored for over 60 years until the 1913 Senghenydd Colliery Disaster.

Image source: Shotton Colliery

Assists with planning of the Great Exhibition

1851

Faraday assisted with the planning and judging of exhibits for the Great Exhibition of 1851 in Hyde Park, London.

Image source: Great Exhibition

Refuses to advise on chemical weapons for the Crimean War

1853 - 1856

Having provided a number of various service projects for the British government, when asked by the government to advise on the production of chemical weapons for use in the Crimean War (1853–1856), Faraday refused to participate, citing ethical reasons.

Letter to The Times on the polluted River Thames

Jul 1855

In July 1855, Faraday wrote a letter to The Times on the subject of the foul condition of the River Thames, which resulted in an often-reprinted cartoon in Punch.

Serves on the Public Schools Commission

1862

Education was another of Faraday's areas of service; he lectured on the topic in 1854 at the Royal Institution, and, in 1862, he appeared before a Public Schools Commission to give his views on education in Great Britain.

Legacy

Death of Michael Faraday

Aug 25, 1867

Faraday died at his house at Hampton Court on 25 August 1867, aged 75.

Blue plaque unveiled at 48 Blandford Street

1876

A Royal Society of Arts blue plaque, unveiled in 1876, commemorates Faraday at 48 Blandford Street in London's Marylebone district.

Image source: Royal Society of Arts

Hall at Loughborough University named after Faraday

1960

A hall at Loughborough University was named after Faraday in 1960.

Image source: Loughborough University

Faraday Memorial completed at Elephant & Castle

1961

The Faraday Memorial, designed by brutalist architect Rodney Gordon and completed in 1961, is at the Elephant & Castle gyratory system, near Faraday's birthplace at Newington Butts, London.

Image source: Michael Faraday Memorial

Faraday featured on Bank of England £20 banknotes

1991 - 2001

From 1991 until 2001, Faraday's picture featured on the reverse of Series E £20 banknotes issued by the Bank of England. In 1991, as a pioneer of electricity he also featured in Royal Mail's Scientific Achievements issue along with Charles Babbage, Frank Whittle and Robert Watson-Watt; in 1999, under the title 'Faraday's Electricity', he featured alongside Charles Darwin, Edward Jenner and Alan Turing.

Image source: Bank of England £20 note

Ranked 22 in BBC's 100 Greatest Britons

2002

In 2002, Faraday was ranked number 22 in the BBC's list of the 100 Greatest Britons following a UK-wide vote.

Image source: 100 Greatest Britons

Faraday Institute established

2006

The institute carrying Faraday's name was created in 2006 by a $2,000,000 grant from the John Templeton Foundation to carry out academic research, foster understanding of the interaction between science and religion, and engage public understanding in both these subject areas.

Cosmos episode 'The Electric Boy' airs

2014

Faraday's life and contributions to electromagnetics was the principal topic of 'The Electric Boy', the tenth episode of the 2014 American science documentary series Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, which was broadcast on Fox and the National Geographic Channel.

Image source: Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey

Faraday Institution established

2017

The Faraday Institution, an independent energy storage research institute established in 2017, also derives its name from Michael Faraday.

Key Facts

Faraday was born on September 22, 1791, in Newington Butts, Surrey, England, to a working-class family and received little formal education.
He began his scientific career as an assistant to chemist Humphry Davy at the Royal Institution in 1813 after attending Davy's lectures as a bookbinder's apprentice.
In 1831, Faraday discovered electromagnetic induction, the principle behind electric generators and transformers that made large-scale electricity generation possible.
His laws of electrolysis, formulated in the 1830s, established fundamental quantitative relationships between electricity and chemical reactions.
Faraday introduced the concept of magnetic fields and field lines, revolutionary ideas later mathematically formalized by James Clerk Maxwell.

Source

This Michael Faraday timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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