# Ernest Rutherford

_New Zealand physicist (1871–1937)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/ernest-rutherford
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Ernest Rutherford, 1st Baron Rutherford of Nelson (30 August 1871 – 19 October 1937) was a New Zealand physicist and chemist who was a pioneering researcher in both atomic and nuclear physics. He has been described as "the father of nuclear physics" and "the greatest experimentalist since Michael Faraday". In 1908, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his investigations into the disintegration of the elements, and the chemistry of radioactive substances."

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 30 August 1871 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9123#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Spring Grove ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9123#P19))
- **Died:** 19 October 1937 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9123#P570))
- **Place of death:** Cambridge ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9123#P20))
- **Citizenship:** New Zealand ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9123#P27))
- **Occupation:** nuclear physicist; chemist; physicist; professor; politician; university teacher ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9123#P106))
- **Education:** University of Canterbury; University of Cambridge; Trinity College; Nelson College ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9123#P69))
- **Spouse:** Mary Georgina Rutherford ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9123#P26))
- **Positions held:** member of the House of Lords (22 January 1931 – 19 October 1937); President of the Royal Society (1925–1930); Langworthy Professor (1907–1919) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9123#P39))
- **Awards:** Hector Medal; Nobel Prize in Chemistry; Matteucci Medal; Copley Medal; Franklin Medal; Elliott Cresson Medal; Fellow of the Royal Society; Faraday Lectureship Prize; Wilhelm Exner Medal; Faraday Medal; Rumford Medal; Albert Medal; Royal Society Bakerian Medal; Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society Te Apārangi; Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9123#P166))

## About

Rutherford's discoveries include the concept of radioactive half-life, the radioactive element radon, and the differentiation and naming of alpha and beta radiation. Together with Thomas Royds, Rutherford is credited with proving that alpha radiation is composed of helium nuclei. In 1911, he theorised that atoms have their charge concentrated in a very small nucleus. He arrived at this theory through his discovery and interpretation of Rutherford scattering during the gold foil experiment performed by Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden. In 1912, he invited Niels Bohr to join his lab, leading to the Bohr model of the atom. In 1917, he performed the first artificially induced nuclear reaction by conducting experiments in which nitrogen nuclei were bombarded with alpha particles. These experiments led him to discover the emission of a subatomic particle that he initially called the "hydrogen atom", but later (more precisely) renamed the proton. He is also credited with developing the atomic numbering system alongside Henry Moseley. His other achievements include advancing the fields of radio communications and ultrasound technology.

Rutherford became Director of the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge in 1919. Under his leadership, the neutron was discovered by James Chadwick in 1932. In the same year, the first controlled experiment to split the nucleus was performed by John Cockcroft and…

## Questions

**When was Ernest Rutherford born?**  
Ernest Rutherford was born on 30 August 1871 in Spring Grove.

**What positions has Ernest Rutherford held?**  
Positions held by Ernest Rutherford include: member of the House of Lords (1931–1937); President of the Royal Society (1925–1930); Langworthy Professor (1907–1919).

**Where did Ernest Rutherford study?**  
Ernest Rutherford was educated at University of Canterbury, University of Cambridge, Trinity College, Nelson College.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Ernest Rutherford](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Rutherford) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikipedia (Nepali): अर्नेस्ट रदरफोर्ड](https://ne.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9F_%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%AB%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A1) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q9123](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9123) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Ernest Rutherford LOC.jpg by George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress) (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ernest_Rutherford_LOC.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Ernest Rutherford, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Ernest Rutherford LOC.jpg — George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress), Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Ernest Rutherford". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/ernest-rutherford. Retrieved 4 November 2026.