# J. J. Thomson

_British physicist (1856-1940)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/j-j-thomson
Last updated: 2026-11-05

> Sir Joseph John Thomson was a British physicist. He received the 1906 Nobel Prize in Physics "in recognition of the great merits of his theoretical and experimental investigations on the conduction of electricity by gases." In 1897, he showed that cathode rays were composed of previously unknown negatively charged particles, which he calculated must have bodies much smaller than atoms and a very large charge-to-mass ratio. The electron was the first subatomic particle to be discovered.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 18 December 1856 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q47285#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Cheetham Hill ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q47285#P19))
- **Died:** 30 August 1940 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q47285#P570))
- **Place of death:** Cambridge ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q47285#P20))
- **Citizenship:** United Kingdom ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q47285#P27))
- **Occupation:** physicist; mathematician; university teacher ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q47285#P106))
- **Education:** University of Manchester; Trinity College; Victoria University of Manchester; University of Cambridge ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q47285#P69))
- **Spouse:** Rose Thomson ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q47285#P26))
- **Positions held:** Master of Trinity College, Cambridge (1918–1940); President of the Royal Society (1915–1920) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q47285#P39))
- **Awards:** Nobel Prize in Physics; Fellow of the Royal Society; Copley Medal; Royal Medal; Elliott Cresson Medal; Hughes Medal; Faraday Medal; Hodgkins Medal; Albert Medal; Franklin Medal; Adams Prize; Royal Society Bakerian Medal; Guthrie Lecture; Knight Bachelor; Dalton Medal ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q47285#P166))

## Questions

**When was J. J. Thomson born?**  
J. J. Thomson was born on 18 December 1856 in Cheetham Hill.

**What positions has J. J. Thomson held?**  
Positions held by J. J. Thomson include: Master of Trinity College, Cambridge (1918–1940); President of the Royal Society (1915–1920).

**Where did J. J. Thomson study?**  
J. J. Thomson was educated at University of Manchester, Trinity College, Victoria University of Manchester, University of Cambridge.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): J. J. Thomson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._J._Thomson) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikipedia (Nepali): जे जे थोमसन](https://ne.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%87_%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%87_%E0%A4%A5%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%A8) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q47285](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q47285) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: J.J Thomson.jpg by Not Mentioned (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:J.J_Thomson.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article J. J. Thomson, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: J.J Thomson.jpg — Not Mentioned, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"J. J. Thomson". DigiNepal. Last updated 5 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/j-j-thomson. Retrieved 5 November 2026.