PHYSICIST
John Sealy Townsend
1868 - 1957

John Sealy Townsend
Sir John Sealy Edward Townsend (; 7 June 1868 – 16 February 1957) was an Irish physicist who conducted various studies concerning the electrical conduction of gases (concerning the kinetics of electrons and ions) and directly measured the electric charge. He was a Wykeham Professor of Physics at Oxford University. The phenomenon of the electron avalanche was discovered by him, and is known as the Townsend discharge. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. John Sealy Townsend is the 654th most popular physicist (down from 542nd in 2019), the 229th most popular biography from Ireland (down from 140th in 2019) and the 6th most popular Irish Physicist.
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Among PHYSICISTS
Among physicists, John Sealy Townsend ranks 654 out of 851. Before him are César Lattes, Charles W. Misner, John Polkinghorne, Christian Møller, Giovanni Giorgi, and Bernard Lovell. After him are William Higinbotham, Edward Condon, Brian Greene, C. V. Boys, Paul Scherrer, and Alexis Thérèse Petit.
Most Popular Physicists in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsCésar Lattes
1924 - 2005
HPI: 56.32
Rank: 648
Charles W. Misner
1932 - 2023
HPI: 56.30
Rank: 649
John Polkinghorne
1930 - 2021
HPI: 56.29
Rank: 650
Christian Møller
1904 - 1980
HPI: 56.26
Rank: 651
Giovanni Giorgi
1871 - 1950
HPI: 56.25
Rank: 652
Bernard Lovell
1913 - 2012
HPI: 56.19
Rank: 653
John Sealy Townsend
1868 - 1957
HPI: 56.17
Rank: 654
William Higinbotham
1910 - 1994
HPI: 56.15
Rank: 655
Edward Condon
1902 - 1974
HPI: 56.12
Rank: 656
Brian Greene
1963 - Present
HPI: 56.08
Rank: 657
C. V. Boys
1855 - 1944
HPI: 56.08
Rank: 658
Paul Scherrer
1890 - 1969
HPI: 56.07
Rank: 659
Alexis Thérèse Petit
1791 - 1820
HPI: 56.06
Rank: 660
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1868, John Sealy Townsend ranks 169. Before him are José Serrato, Edgar Adams, Ștefan Luchian, Reynold A. Nicholson, Ladislaus Bortkiewicz, and Charles Wallace Richmond. After him are Albert William Herre, Kenjirō Tokutomi, Grace Chisholm Young, Guy de la Chapelle, Achille Paroche, and Paul Warburg. Among people deceased in 1957, John Sealy Townsend ranks 175. Before him are Martin Wagner, Harry Watson, Patrick Abercrombie, Piero Carini, Hjalmar Johansson, and József Rády. After him are Ronald Knox, Guillermo Saavedra, Wilhelm Nusselt, Reginald Aldworth Daly, Dennis Brain, and P. C. Chang.
Others Born in 1868
Go to all RankingsJosé Serrato
POLITICIAN
1868 - 1960
HPI: 56.51
Rank: 163
Edgar Adams
SWIMMER
1868 - 1940
HPI: 56.41
Rank: 164
Ștefan Luchian
PAINTER
1868 - 1916
HPI: 56.40
Rank: 165
Reynold A. Nicholson
WRITER
1868 - 1945
HPI: 56.38
Rank: 166
Ladislaus Bortkiewicz
ECONOMIST
1868 - 1931
HPI: 56.28
Rank: 167
Charles Wallace Richmond
BIOLOGIST
1868 - 1932
HPI: 56.24
Rank: 168
John Sealy Townsend
PHYSICIST
1868 - 1957
HPI: 56.17
Rank: 169
Albert William Herre
BIOLOGIST
1868 - 1962
HPI: 56.07
Rank: 170
Kenjirō Tokutomi
WRITER
1868 - 1927
HPI: 56.03
Rank: 171
Grace Chisholm Young
MATHEMATICIAN
1868 - 1944
HPI: 55.69
Rank: 172
Guy de la Chapelle
TENNIS PLAYER
1868 - 1923
HPI: 55.51
Rank: 173
Achille Paroche
ATHLETE
1868 - 1933
HPI: 55.22
Rank: 174
Paul Warburg
POLITICIAN
1868 - 1932
HPI: 55.22
Rank: 175
Others Deceased in 1957
Go to all RankingsMartin Wagner
ARCHITECT
1885 - 1957
HPI: 56.46
Rank: 169
Harry Watson
ATHLETE
1898 - 1957
HPI: 56.46
Rank: 170
Patrick Abercrombie
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1879 - 1957
HPI: 56.43
Rank: 171
Piero Carini
RACING DRIVER
1921 - 1957
HPI: 56.39
Rank: 172
Hjalmar Johansson
ATHLETE
1874 - 1957
HPI: 56.31
Rank: 173
József Rády
ATHLETE
1884 - 1957
HPI: 56.20
Rank: 174
John Sealy Townsend
PHYSICIST
1868 - 1957
HPI: 56.17
Rank: 175
Ronald Knox
WRITER
1888 - 1957
HPI: 56.02
Rank: 176
Guillermo Saavedra
SOCCER PLAYER
1903 - 1957
HPI: 55.95
Rank: 177
Wilhelm Nusselt
ENGINEER
1882 - 1957
HPI: 55.92
Rank: 178
Reginald Aldworth Daly
GEOLOGIST
1871 - 1957
HPI: 55.76
Rank: 179
Dennis Brain
MUSICIAN
1921 - 1957
HPI: 55.76
Rank: 180
P. C. Chang
PHILOSOPHER
1892 - 1957
HPI: 55.60
Rank: 181
In Ireland
Among people born in Ireland, John Sealy Townsend ranks 229 out of 549. Before him are William Trevor (1928), Jane Wilde (1821), Sara Allgood (1879), John Bruton (1947), John Boyne (1971), and William Stokes (1804). After him are John Philip Holland (1840), Willoughby Hamilton (1864), Conel Hugh O'Donel Alexander (1909), Ray McAnally (1926), Garret FitzGerald (1926), and Margaret Mazzantini (1961).
Others born in Ireland
Go to all RankingsWilliam Trevor
WRITER
1928 - 2016
HPI: 56.42
Rank: 223
Jane Wilde
WRITER
1821 - 1896
HPI: 56.38
Rank: 224
Sara Allgood
ACTOR
1879 - 1950
HPI: 56.33
Rank: 225
John Bruton
POLITICIAN
1947 - 2024
HPI: 56.28
Rank: 226
John Boyne
WRITER
1971 - Present
HPI: 56.27
Rank: 227
William Stokes
PHYSICIAN
1804 - 1878
HPI: 56.25
Rank: 228
John Sealy Townsend
PHYSICIST
1868 - 1957
HPI: 56.17
Rank: 229
John Philip Holland
INVENTOR
1840 - 1914
HPI: 56.02
Rank: 230
Willoughby Hamilton
SOCCER PLAYER
1864 - 1943
HPI: 56.01
Rank: 231
Conel Hugh O'Donel Alexander
CHESS PLAYER
1909 - 1974
HPI: 55.84
Rank: 232
Ray McAnally
ACTOR
1926 - 1989
HPI: 55.75
Rank: 233
Garret FitzGerald
POLITICIAN
1926 - 2011
HPI: 55.71
Rank: 234
Margaret Mazzantini
WRITER
1961 - Present
HPI: 55.63
Rank: 235
Among PHYSICISTS In Ireland
Among physicists born in Ireland, John Sealy Townsend ranks 6. Before him are William Rowan Hamilton (1805), George Francis FitzGerald (1851), Ernest Walton (1903), John Tyndall (1820), and George Johnstone Stoney (1826). After him are John Joly (1857).
William Rowan Hamilton
1805 - 1865
HPI: 74.78
Rank: 1
George Francis FitzGerald
1851 - 1901
HPI: 71.97
Rank: 2
Ernest Walton
1903 - 1995
HPI: 68.17
Rank: 3
John Tyndall
1820 - 1893
HPI: 66.93
Rank: 4
George Johnstone Stoney
1826 - 1911
HPI: 64.13
Rank: 5
John Sealy Townsend
1868 - 1957
HPI: 56.17
Rank: 6
John Joly
1857 - 1933
HPI: 55.05
Rank: 7