PHYSICIST
Joseph Swan
1828 - 1914

Joseph Swan
Sir Joseph Wilson Swan FRS (31 October 1828 – 27 May 1914) was an English physicist, chemist, and inventor. He is known as an independent early developer of a successful incandescent light bulb, and is responsible for developing the first use of incandescent lights used to illuminate homes and public buildings, including the Savoy Theatre, London, in 1881. In 1904, Swan was knighted by King Edward VII, awarded the Royal Society's Hughes Medal, and was made an honorary member of the Pharmaceutical Society. He had received the highest decoration in France, the Legion of Honour, when he visited the 1881 International Exposition of Electricity, Paris. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Joseph Swan is the 344th most popular physicist (down from 331st in 2019), the 1,293rd most popular biography from United Kingdom (down from 1,094th in 2019) and the 43rd most popular British Physicist.
Joseph Swan is most famous for the invention of the incandescent light bulb.
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Among PHYSICISTS
Among physicists, Joseph Swan ranks 344 out of 851. Before him are Fritjof Capra, Robert B. Laughlin, Thomas Johann Seebeck, Bruno Pontecorvo, Stephen Hales, and Giorgio Parisi. After him are Jean Léonard Marie Poiseuille, Yakov Zeldovich, Walther Gerlach, John G. Trump, Theodore Lyman IV, and Ami Argand.
Most Popular Physicists in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsFritjof Capra
1939 - Present
HPI: 66.07
Rank: 338
Robert B. Laughlin
1950 - Present
HPI: 66.04
Rank: 339
Thomas Johann Seebeck
1770 - 1831
HPI: 65.87
Rank: 340
Bruno Pontecorvo
1913 - 1993
HPI: 65.83
Rank: 341
Stephen Hales
1677 - 1761
HPI: 65.83
Rank: 342
Giorgio Parisi
1948 - Present
HPI: 65.66
Rank: 343
Joseph Swan
1828 - 1914
HPI: 65.59
Rank: 344
Jean Léonard Marie Poiseuille
1797 - 1869
HPI: 65.58
Rank: 345
Yakov Zeldovich
1914 - 1987
HPI: 65.57
Rank: 346
Walther Gerlach
1889 - 1979
HPI: 65.55
Rank: 347
John G. Trump
1907 - 1985
HPI: 65.55
Rank: 348
Theodore Lyman IV
1874 - 1954
HPI: 65.50
Rank: 349
Ami Argand
1750 - 1803
HPI: 65.50
Rank: 350
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1828, Joseph Swan ranks 18. Before him are Albert Marth, Ferdinand Cohn, Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia, Albert of Saxony, Louise of the Netherlands, and John Langdon Down. After him are Paul Gachet, Edmond François Valentin About, Alexander Butlerov, Friedrich Albert Lange, Charles de Freycinet, and Antonio Cánovas del Castillo. Among people deceased in 1914, Joseph Swan ranks 33. Before him are Joseph Chamberlain, Alfred Thayer Mahan, Anatoly Lyadov, Adolphus Frederick V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Georges Picquart, and Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. After him are Albert Günther, Theodor Kittelsen, George Speck, Christian Morgenstern, Johann Wilhelm Hittorf, and Jurji Zaydan.
Others Born in 1828
Go to all RankingsAlbert Marth
ASTRONOMER
1828 - 1897
HPI: 70.37
Rank: 12
Ferdinand Cohn
BIOLOGIST
1828 - 1898
HPI: 69.90
Rank: 13
Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia
POLITICIAN
1828 - 1885
HPI: 69.55
Rank: 14
Albert of Saxony
POLITICIAN
1828 - 1902
HPI: 69.18
Rank: 15
Louise of the Netherlands
COMPANION
1828 - 1871
HPI: 68.69
Rank: 16
John Langdon Down
PHYSICIAN
1828 - 1896
HPI: 65.77
Rank: 17
Joseph Swan
PHYSICIST
1828 - 1914
HPI: 65.59
Rank: 18
Paul Gachet
PHYSICIAN
1828 - 1909
HPI: 65.42
Rank: 19
Edmond François Valentin About
WRITER
1828 - 1885
HPI: 65.08
Rank: 20
Alexander Butlerov
CHEMIST
1828 - 1886
HPI: 64.53
Rank: 21
Friedrich Albert Lange
PHILOSOPHER
1828 - 1875
HPI: 64.42
Rank: 22
Charles de Freycinet
POLITICIAN
1828 - 1923
HPI: 64.14
Rank: 23
Antonio Cánovas del Castillo
POLITICIAN
1828 - 1897
HPI: 63.94
Rank: 24
Others Deceased in 1914
Go to all RankingsJoseph Chamberlain
POLITICIAN
1836 - 1914
HPI: 66.48
Rank: 27
Alfred Thayer Mahan
WRITER
1840 - 1914
HPI: 66.48
Rank: 28
Anatoly Lyadov
COMPOSER
1855 - 1914
HPI: 66.10
Rank: 29
Adolphus Frederick V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
POLITICIAN
1848 - 1914
HPI: 65.94
Rank: 30
Georges Picquart
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1854 - 1914
HPI: 65.89
Rank: 31
Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
POLITICIAN
1826 - 1914
HPI: 65.78
Rank: 32
Joseph Swan
PHYSICIST
1828 - 1914
HPI: 65.59
Rank: 33
Albert Günther
BIOLOGIST
1830 - 1914
HPI: 65.56
Rank: 34
Theodor Kittelsen
PAINTER
1857 - 1914
HPI: 65.30
Rank: 35
George Speck
CHEF
1824 - 1914
HPI: 64.98
Rank: 36
Christian Morgenstern
WRITER
1871 - 1914
HPI: 64.76
Rank: 37
Johann Wilhelm Hittorf
PHYSICIST
1824 - 1914
HPI: 64.40
Rank: 38
Jurji Zaydan
WRITER
1861 - 1914
HPI: 64.33
Rank: 39
In United Kingdom
Among people born in United Kingdom, Joseph Swan ranks 1,293 out of 8,785. Before him are Ruth Rendell (1930), Anabella Drummond (1350), William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse (1800), Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury (1473), Billy Boyd (1968), and M.I.A. (1975). After him are James Anderson (1680), Gareth Jones (1905), Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh (1864), Louis Lucien Bonaparte (1813), John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall (1316), and Sarah Brightman (1960).
Others born in United Kingdom
Go to all RankingsRuth Rendell
WRITER
1930 - 2015
HPI: 65.62
Rank: 1,287
Anabella Drummond
COMPANION
1350 - 1401
HPI: 65.61
Rank: 1,288
William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse
ASTRONOMER
1800 - 1867
HPI: 65.61
Rank: 1,289
Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury
POLITICIAN
1473 - 1541
HPI: 65.60
Rank: 1,290
Billy Boyd
ACTOR
1968 - Present
HPI: 65.60
Rank: 1,291
M.I.A.
SINGER
1975 - Present
HPI: 65.59
Rank: 1,292
Joseph Swan
PHYSICIST
1828 - 1914
HPI: 65.59
Rank: 1,293
James Anderson
WRITER
1680 - 1739
HPI: 65.59
Rank: 1,294
Gareth Jones
JOURNALIST
1905 - 1935
HPI: 65.58
Rank: 1,295
Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh
PAINTER
1864 - 1933
HPI: 65.58
Rank: 1,296
Louis Lucien Bonaparte
POLITICIAN
1813 - 1891
HPI: 65.58
Rank: 1,297
John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall
NOBLEMAN
1316 - 1336
HPI: 65.57
Rank: 1,298
Sarah Brightman
SINGER
1960 - Present
HPI: 65.56
Rank: 1,299
Among PHYSICISTS In United Kingdom
Among physicists born in United Kingdom, Joseph Swan ranks 43. Before him are Peter Mansfield (1933), Charles Wheatstone (1802), Freeman Dyson (1923), Dennis W. Sciama (1926), John Stewart Bell (1928), and Stephen Hales (1677). After him are William Whewell (1794), Duncan Haldane (1951), William Sturgeon (1783), John Kerr (1824), William Watson (1715), and Louis Harold Gray (1905).
Peter Mansfield
1933 - 2017
HPI: 68.29
Rank: 37
Charles Wheatstone
1802 - 1875
HPI: 68.18
Rank: 38
Freeman Dyson
1923 - 2020
HPI: 67.47
Rank: 39
Dennis W. Sciama
1926 - 1999
HPI: 67.24
Rank: 40
John Stewart Bell
1928 - 1990
HPI: 66.75
Rank: 41
Stephen Hales
1677 - 1761
HPI: 65.83
Rank: 42
Joseph Swan
1828 - 1914
HPI: 65.59
Rank: 43
William Whewell
1794 - 1866
HPI: 65.04
Rank: 44
Duncan Haldane
1951 - Present
HPI: 64.83
Rank: 45
William Sturgeon
1783 - 1850
HPI: 64.75
Rank: 46
John Kerr
1824 - 1907
HPI: 63.63
Rank: 47
William Watson
1715 - 1787
HPI: 62.91
Rank: 48
Louis Harold Gray
1905 - 1965
HPI: 62.61
Rank: 49