Glasgow scientist William Thomson Lord Kelvin died - On this day in history

William Thomson, Lord Kelvin, the Glasgow scientist after whom the Kelvin unit of temperature was named, died on 17 December 1907 at Largs. Lord Kelvin was a physicist and engineer who worked on a number of projects including electric telegraph development, for which he was knighted by Queen Victoria. He also developed a compass for mariners and discovered the concept of an absolute zero unit of temperature, which was named the kelvin unit in his name.

Lord Kelvin was offered several different university posts during his career but remained at Glasgow University, where he was Professor of Natural Philosophy for more than half a century.