John Dalton

6 September 1766 – 27 July 1844

John Dalton (1766-1844) was an English chemist, physicist, and meteorologist best known for introducing modern atomic theory into chemistry. A lifelong Quaker who worked mainly in Manchester, he also formulated the law of partial pressures and provided the first systematic study of colour blindness, long known as Daltonism.

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Life events

Born in Eaglesfield, Cumberland, England
6 September 1766

John Dalton was born into a Quaker family in the village of Eaglesfield, the son of a weaver.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Began teaching at a Quaker school at age 12
c. 1778

Dalton started teaching at the local Quaker school in Eaglesfield, and later taught with his brother at a school in Kendal.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Moved to Manchester to teach at New College
1793

Dalton relocated to Manchester as a teacher of mathematics and natural philosophy at the dissenting academy New College, remaining in the city for the rest of his life.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Published 'Meteorological Observations and Essays'
1793

Dalton's first book recorded his systematic weather observations, a practice of daily meteorological record-keeping he maintained for 57 years.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Presented the first scientific paper on colour blindness
31 October 1794

In a paper to the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society, Dalton described his own colour blindness, giving the condition its early name of Daltonism.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Formulated the law of partial pressures
1801

Dalton stated that the total pressure of a gas mixture equals the sum of the pressures each gas would exert alone, now known as Dalton's law.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Proposed his atomic theory with a table of atomic weights
1803

Dalton set out the idea that each chemical element consists of identical atoms of characteristic weight and presented the first table of relative atomic weights.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Published 'A New System of Chemical Philosophy'
1808

The first volume of Dalton's major work gave a full account of his atomic theory of matter.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Became president of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society
1817 – 1844

Dalton was elected president of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society, an office he held until his death.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Died in Manchester, England
27 July 1844

Dalton died after a series of strokes; some 40,000 people filed past his coffin as he lay in state in Manchester Town Hall.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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