August 30, 1871 – Birth of Ernest Rutherford, who became one of the pillars of nuclear physics after studying radioactivity

British physicist and chemist who, after graduating in New Zealand in 1893, moved to the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom) to work as an assistant to Joseph J. Thomson and after being appointed professor in Montreal (Canada) in 1919, he succeeded himself. Thomson as director of the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge.

In 1899, he discovered alpha and beta particles and a year later, gamma radiation.

In 1905, he announced that radioactivity was accompanied by a disintegration of the elements, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1908. In addition, after carrying out a series of experiments with which he intended to study the way in which alpha particles were disseminated, he discovered, in 1911, the existence of the atomic nucleus.

If you want to know more about Ernest Rutherford, take a look at our educational resource dedicated to him at the following link: Ernest Rutherford