PHYSICIST
Thomas Young
1773 - 1829

Thomas Young
Thomas Young FRS (13 June 1773 – 10 May 1829) was a British polymath who made notable contributions to the fields of vision, light, solid mechanics, energy, physiology, language, musical harmony, and Egyptology. He was instrumental in the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs, specifically the Rosetta Stone. Young has been described as "The Last Man Who Knew Everything". His work influenced that of William Herschel, Hermann von Helmholtz, James Clerk Maxwell, and Albert Einstein. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Thomas Young is the 103rd most popular physicist (down from 56th in 2019), the 288th most popular biography from United Kingdom (down from 160th in 2019) and the 23rd most popular British Physicist.
Thomas Young was most famous for his work in the field of optics, specifically his work with light and lenses. He also made contributions to the fields of Egyptology and linguistics.
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Among PHYSICISTS
Among physicists, Thomas Young ranks 103 out of 851. Before him are Percy Williams Bridgman, Jean Baptiste Perrin, William Henry Bragg, Eugene Wigner, Donald A. Glaser, and Aage Bohr. After him are Peter Debye, Mikhail Lomonosov, Georges Lemaître, Hannes Alfvén, Dennis Gabor, and Clinton Davisson.
Most Popular Physicists in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsPercy Williams Bridgman
1882 - 1961
HPI: 76.05
Rank: 97
Jean Baptiste Perrin
1870 - 1942
HPI: 76.02
Rank: 98
William Henry Bragg
1862 - 1942
HPI: 75.99
Rank: 99
Eugene Wigner
1902 - 1995
HPI: 75.92
Rank: 100
Donald A. Glaser
1926 - 2013
HPI: 75.85
Rank: 101
Aage Bohr
1922 - 2009
HPI: 75.84
Rank: 102
Thomas Young
1773 - 1829
HPI: 75.75
Rank: 103
Peter Debye
1884 - 1966
HPI: 75.71
Rank: 104
Mikhail Lomonosov
1711 - 1765
HPI: 75.69
Rank: 105
Georges Lemaître
1894 - 1966
HPI: 75.64
Rank: 106
Hannes Alfvén
1908 - 1995
HPI: 75.49
Rank: 107
Dennis Gabor
1900 - 1979
HPI: 75.48
Rank: 108
Clinton Davisson
1881 - 1958
HPI: 75.46
Rank: 109
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1773, Thomas Young ranks 4. Before him are Louis Philippe I, Klemens von Metternich, and Robert Brown. After him are William Henry Harrison, Friedrich Mohs, Ludwig Tieck, Louis I of Etruria, Luisa of Naples and Sicily, Maria Theresa of Austria-Este, Queen of Sardinia, Aimé Bonpland, and Jean Charles Léonard de Sismondi. Among people deceased in 1829, Thomas Young ranks 7. Before him are Pope Leo XII, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, Niels Henrik Abel, John Jay, Friedrich Schlegel, and Humphry Davy. After him are Maria Anna Mozart, Paul Barras, François-Joseph Gossec, Louis Nicolas Vauquelin, Mauro Giuliani, and Alexander Griboyedov.
Others Born in 1773
Go to all RankingsLouis Philippe I
POLITICIAN
1773 - 1850
HPI: 81.75
Rank: 1
Klemens von Metternich
POLITICIAN
1773 - 1859
HPI: 80.29
Rank: 2
Robert Brown
BIOLOGIST
1773 - 1858
HPI: 78.23
Rank: 3
Thomas Young
PHYSICIST
1773 - 1829
HPI: 75.75
Rank: 4
William Henry Harrison
POLITICIAN
1773 - 1841
HPI: 74.74
Rank: 5
Friedrich Mohs
GEOLOGIST
1773 - 1839
HPI: 71.59
Rank: 6
Ludwig Tieck
WRITER
1773 - 1853
HPI: 71.54
Rank: 7
Louis I of Etruria
POLITICIAN
1773 - 1803
HPI: 71.11
Rank: 8
Luisa of Naples and Sicily
NOBLEMAN
1773 - 1802
HPI: 69.24
Rank: 9
Maria Theresa of Austria-Este, Queen of Sardinia
POLITICIAN
1773 - 1832
HPI: 68.97
Rank: 10
Aimé Bonpland
BIOLOGIST
1773 - 1858
HPI: 68.96
Rank: 11
Jean Charles Léonard de Sismondi
ECONOMIST
1773 - 1842
HPI: 67.31
Rank: 12
Others Deceased in 1829
Go to all RankingsPope Leo XII
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1760 - 1829
HPI: 84.18
Rank: 1
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
BIOLOGIST
1744 - 1829
HPI: 82.06
Rank: 2
Niels Henrik Abel
MATHEMATICIAN
1802 - 1829
HPI: 79.17
Rank: 3
John Jay
DIPLOMAT
1745 - 1829
HPI: 78.08
Rank: 4
Friedrich Schlegel
WRITER
1772 - 1829
HPI: 77.16
Rank: 5
Humphry Davy
CHEMIST
1778 - 1829
HPI: 76.94
Rank: 6
Thomas Young
PHYSICIST
1773 - 1829
HPI: 75.75
Rank: 7
Maria Anna Mozart
MUSICIAN
1751 - 1829
HPI: 75.06
Rank: 8
Paul Barras
POLITICIAN
1755 - 1829
HPI: 74.40
Rank: 9
François-Joseph Gossec
COMPOSER
1734 - 1829
HPI: 71.71
Rank: 10
Louis Nicolas Vauquelin
CHEMIST
1763 - 1829
HPI: 70.39
Rank: 11
Mauro Giuliani
MUSICIAN
1781 - 1829
HPI: 67.50
Rank: 12
Alexander Griboyedov
WRITER
1795 - 1829
HPI: 66.75
Rank: 13
In United Kingdom
Among people born in United Kingdom, Thomas Young ranks 288 out of 8,785. Before him are Frederick Soddy (1877), Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (1964), Judi Dench (1934), David Gilmour (1946), Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York (1341), and Thomas Henry Huxley (1825). After him are Jane Goodall (1934), Jason Statham (1967), Henry I of England (1068), James Black (1924), Mary Tudor, Queen of France (1496), and Francis William Aston (1877).
Others born in United Kingdom
Go to all RankingsFrederick Soddy
CHEMIST
1877 - 1956
HPI: 75.84
Rank: 282
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
NOBLEMAN
1964 - Present
HPI: 75.82
Rank: 283
Judi Dench
ACTOR
1934 - Present
HPI: 75.79
Rank: 284
David Gilmour
MUSICIAN
1946 - Present
HPI: 75.78
Rank: 285
Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York
POLITICIAN
1341 - 1402
HPI: 75.77
Rank: 286
Thomas Henry Huxley
BIOLOGIST
1825 - 1895
HPI: 75.76
Rank: 287
Thomas Young
PHYSICIST
1773 - 1829
HPI: 75.75
Rank: 288
Jane Goodall
ANTHROPOLOGIST
1934 - Present
HPI: 75.73
Rank: 289
Jason Statham
ACTOR
1967 - Present
HPI: 75.70
Rank: 290
Henry I of England
POLITICIAN
1068 - 1135
HPI: 75.70
Rank: 291
James Black
PHYSICIAN
1924 - 2010
HPI: 75.70
Rank: 292
Mary Tudor, Queen of France
COMPANION
1496 - 1533
HPI: 75.70
Rank: 293
Francis William Aston
CHEMIST
1877 - 1945
HPI: 75.65
Rank: 294
Among PHYSICISTS In United Kingdom
Among physicists born in United Kingdom, Thomas Young ranks 23. Before him are Patrick Blackett (1897), Charles Glover Barkla (1877), Paul Dirac (1902), James Chadwick (1891), C. F. Powell (1903), and William Henry Bragg (1862). After him are Peter Higgs (1929), Roger Penrose (1931), Henry Moseley (1887), John Kendrew (1917), James Jeans (1877), and David Brewster (1781).
Patrick Blackett
1897 - 1974
HPI: 78.48
Rank: 17
Charles Glover Barkla
1877 - 1944
HPI: 78.02
Rank: 18
Paul Dirac
1902 - 1984
HPI: 77.91
Rank: 19
James Chadwick
1891 - 1974
HPI: 77.34
Rank: 20
C. F. Powell
1903 - 1969
HPI: 76.50
Rank: 21
William Henry Bragg
1862 - 1942
HPI: 75.99
Rank: 22
Thomas Young
1773 - 1829
HPI: 75.75
Rank: 23
Peter Higgs
1929 - 2024
HPI: 75.42
Rank: 24
Roger Penrose
1931 - Present
HPI: 74.08
Rank: 25
Henry Moseley
1887 - 1915
HPI: 73.72
Rank: 26
John Kendrew
1917 - 1997
HPI: 73.65
Rank: 27
James Jeans
1877 - 1946
HPI: 72.73
Rank: 28
David Brewster
1781 - 1868
HPI: 71.78
Rank: 29