Never say, "I tried it once and it did not work." - Ernest Rutherford, whose birthday we celebrate today! Ernest Rutherford was born on August 30th, 1871 in Nelson, New Zealand. Due to his immense contribution to nuclear physics, he is often called the “father of nuclear physics“.
Rutherford is best known for his research of radioactivity and the atom. One of his most notable breakthroughs is the discovery of the nuclear atom with a positively-charged nucleus surrounded by electrons. He also discovered two types of radiation (alpha and beta particles) and is credited for laying the foundation for understanding radioactive decay.
Apart from being called the “father of nuclear physics“, he is well known for his contributions to chemistry for which he received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1908 and the chemical element rutherfordium was posthumously named after him in 1997.