John Dalton

Dalton, John (1766-1844), British chemist and physicist, who developed the atomic theory upon which modern physical science is founded. Dalton was born on September 6, 1766, in Eaglesfield, Cumberland County, England. He was the son of a weaver and received his early education from his father and at a Quaker school in his native town, where he began teaching at the age of 12. In 1781 he moved to Kendal, where he conducted a school with his cousin and …

…by a mixture of gases is equal to the sum of the separate pressures that each of the gases would exert if it alone occupied the whole volume. In 1804 and 1809 Dalton was invited to deliver courses at the Royal Institution in London. He was made a fellow of the Royal Society in 1822 and was awarded the society's gold medal in 1826. In 1830 Dalton became one of the eight foreign associates of the French Academy of Sciences.