13 June 2023
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Scientist James Clerk Maxwell was born - On this day in history
Scientist James Clerk Maxwell was born on 13 June 1831.
On 13 June 1831, scientist James Clerk Maxwell was born at India Street, Edinburgh. Maxwell was one of the pioneers of electromagnetics, demonstrating that electric and magnetic fields travel through space in waves. He was home schooled by his mother until her death when he was eight years old.
On his arrival at the Edinburgh Academy in 1841, he was nicknamed 'daftie' by his classmates, due to his home-made clothing and rustic accent. Despite the teasing, he excelled at the school, producing a paper on mathematical curves at the age of fourteen - this impressed scientists of the day so much that it was presented to the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
Further reading
The Man Who Changed Everything: The Life of James Clark Maxwell by Basil Mahon
