Albert Abraham Michelson was born on 19 December 1852 in Strzelno. An American physicist born in Prussia, Michelson was best known for his work on measuring the speed of light with increasing precision. With Edward Morley he carried out in 1887 the Michelson-Morley experiment, which failed to detect the luminiferous ether, a result that was crucial to the development of Einstein's theory of relativity. He invented the interferometer used in the experiment, and used it to measure the standard meter in terms of the wavelength of light. In 1907 he became the first American to win the Nobel Prize in Physics. He was also a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy.
Before and after
- 25 November 1852Earthquake in Bandanaira, Maluku, Indonesia
- 27 November 1852Death of Ada Lovelace
- from 2 December 1852 to 4 September 1870Second French Empire
- 15 December 1852Birth of Antoine Henri Becquerel
- 19 December 1852Birth of Albert Abraham Michelson
- 19th centuryPublication of The Three Little Pigs
- 1853Gadsden Purchase
- 28 January 1853Birth of José Martí
- 30 March 1853Birth of Vincent van Gogh
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This moment belongs to the Industrial era (1760 CE to 1914 CE), steam, factories and revolutions. You can also browse everything in the 19th century.