Robert Andrews Millikan was born on 22 March 1868 in Morrison. An American physicist, Millikan is best known for his oil-drop experiment, carried out in 1909 and after, in which he measured the charge of the electron and showed that electric charge comes in discrete units. He also made a careful experimental verification of Einstein's photoelectric equation and determined Planck's constant. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1923. He studied cosmic rays, coining the name, and was a leader of the California Institute of Technology, building it into a major scientific institution. His claims about cosmic rays were later disputed by Arthur Compton.
Before and after
- from 1868 to 1889Meiji Restoration
- from 3 January 1868 to 3 May 1947Empire of Japan
- from 27 January 1868 to 27 June 1869Boshin War
- 16 March 1868Birth of Maxim Gorky
- 22 March 1868Birth of Robert Andrews Millikan
- 23 March 1868Founding of University of California, Berkeley
- 18 May 1868Birth of Nicholas II of Russia
- 1 June 1868Death of James Buchanan
- 14 June 1868Birth of Karl Landsteiner
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The era
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.