When was James Clerk Maxwell born?

James Clerk Maxwell was born on 13 June 1831 in Edinburgh.

What positions has James Clerk Maxwell held?

Positions held by James Clerk Maxwell include: Cavendish Professor of Physics (1871–1879).

Where did James Clerk Maxwell study?

James Clerk Maxwell was educated at University of Edinburgh, Peterhouse, Edinburgh Academy, Trinity College.

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James Clerk Maxwell

जेम्स क्लर्क माक्सवेल

Scottish physicist (1831–1879)

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James Clerk Maxwell (13 June 1831 – 5 November 1879) was a Scottish physicist and mathematician who was responsible for the classical theory of electromagnetic radiation, which was the first theory to describe electricity, magnetism and light as different manifestations of the same phenomenon. Maxwell's equations for electromagnetism achieved the second great unification in physics, where the first one had been realised by Isaac Newton. Maxwell was also key in the creation of statistical mechanics.

Quick facts

Born: 13 June 1831 wd
Place of birth: Edinburgh wd
Died: 5 November 1879 wd
Place of death: Cambridge wd
Citizenship: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland wd
Occupation: physicist, mathematician, inventor, photographer, university teacher, theoretical physicist wd
Education: University of Edinburgh, Peterhouse, Edinburgh Academy, Trinity College, University of Cambridge wd
Spouse: Katherine Clerk Maxwell wd

Positions held wd

Cavendish Professor of Physics (1871–1879)

Awards wd

Fellow of the Royal Society (1861)
Rumford Medal (1860)
Royal Society Bakerian Medal (1866)
Keith Medal (1869)
Adams Prize (1857)
Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1856)
Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame (2012)
Smith's Prize (1854)

About

Maxwell graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1854, where he earned distinction in mathematics and the Smith's Prize. He remained at Cambridge briefly, publishing early mathematical work and investigations into optics, particularly the principles of colour combination and colour-blindness. He later held the Chair of Natural Philosophy at Marischal College in Aberdeen, where he studied the rings of Saturn and correctly proposed that they were composed of numerous small particles, work that earned him the Adams Prize in 1859. During this time he married Katherine Mary Dewar, who assisted him in his laboratory work. From 1860 to 1865, he served as the Professor of Natural Philosophy at King's College London, where he developed his theory of electromagnetic fields. His publication of "A Dynamical Theory of the Electromagnetic Field" in 1865 demonstrated that electric and magnetic fields travel through space as waves moving at the speed of light, proposing that light is an undulation in the same medium that is the cause of electric and magnetic phenomena. His unification of light and electrical phenomena led to his prediction of the existence of radio waves.

Maxwell was the first to derive the Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution, a statistical means of describing aspects of the kinetic theory of gases, which he worked on sporadically throughout his career. He presented…

Questions

When was James Clerk Maxwell born?: James Clerk Maxwell was born on 13 June 1831 in Edinburgh.
What positions has James Clerk Maxwell held?: Positions held by James Clerk Maxwell include: Cavendish Professor of Physics (1871–1879).
Where did James Clerk Maxwell study?: James Clerk Maxwell was educated at University of Edinburgh, Peterhouse, Edinburgh Academy, Trinity College.

Sources

Last updated 31 October 2026 · facts checked 5 November 2026

Cite this page

"James Clerk Maxwell". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/james-clerk-maxwell. Retrieved 5 November 2026.

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Text from the Wikipedia article James Clerk Maxwell, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: James-Clerk-Maxwell-1831-1879.jpg — Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain.

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