Jospeh John Thomson ( 1856 - 1940 ) A person who did many researches on cathode rays that, finally, led to the discovery of the electrons. Moreover, he was interested in the atomic structure and won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1906.

Jospeh John Thomson was born on the 18th of December in Ceetham Hill in England. His father was a bookseller. The idea of his father was that Thomson becomes an engineer. The problem was that they couldn’t find a place for his apprentice ship. So they had to find another way and that is why they sent him to the Owens College. In the year 1876 he started to study mathematics at the Trinity College in Cambridge. After finishing his studies he worked in a Laboratory since he became a Professor of Physics at the age of 28. In 1892 he married his wife Rose Paget with whom he had a daughter and a son.
In 1892 he began the studies for his discovery of cathode rays. He said that all matter is made from particles. These particles are smaller than atoms and he called them “corpuscles”. Interesting is that he refutes the theory that atoms are the smallest units. After 12 years working he started to do researches on positively charged ions. During this he discovered that neon light  is composed of two different kinds of atoms. During this he was the first person who uses the, an instrument that measures the mass with connection to the charge.
He died on the 30th of August in Cambridge but in his books he wrote all his researches, discoveries and ideas down.

Physics