1766-1844

English Chemist, Physicist and Meteorologist

John Dalton proposed the atomic theory of matter as a result of his investigations of the atmosphere. By viewing matter as made up of indivisible particles each with their own particular weight, Dalton offered a way to understand chemical reactions. This led to the rapid development of chemistry in the nineteenth century.

Dalton was born into a family of devout Quakers in a small village in the Lakes District of northwest England. His Quaker heritage, with its emphasis on education and interest in science, played a key role in Dalton's life. After completing all the schooling he could obtain in his village, Dalton left in 1781 to replace his elder brother as an assistant in a Quaker boarding school in Kendal, the principal town in the Lakes District. The school had a very good library as well as scientific equipment that...