Michael Faraday

Michael Faraday (1791-1867). He was born on September 22, 1791 near London. He was the son of a black smith and at an early age was an apprentice to a bookbinder. He studied science in his leisure time and in 1812 he listened to the lectures of the chemist, Sir Humphrey Davy, for whom he worked as an assistant later.

Faraday discovered the principle of electromagnetic induction in 1831. His work on electrochemistry led to the discovery of the relationship between electricity and the valence of an element. This was the first clue to the electron. Faraday was the first to liquefy gases and distill benzene from fish oil. He died on August 25, 1867.