John Tyndall (1820-1893)

John Tyndall's birth

1820

John Tyndall was born to a poor Protestant family in Ireland.

Tyndall received his Ph.D. from the University of Marburg in Germany.

1850

John Tyndall was born to a poor Protestant family. After receiving a basic public education, his interests went to science. After studying engineering for a few years, he began studying for his PhD.

Tyndall began teaching at the Royal Institution, London.

1853

While working as a professor, he became acquainted with admired scientists such as Michael Faraday and T.H. Huxley.

Tyndall began studying Radioactive properties of gases

1859

While a professor at The Royal Institute, Tyndall began studying the relationship between water vapors and radioactive heat. He also studies showed that molecules of water vapor, carbon dioxide, and ozone absorb a lot of heat radiation.

Argues naturalistic explanations of science at "Belfast Address"

1874

John Tyndall is widely known for his then-controversial opinions in regards to science vs. the church. He believed in only scientific explanations of human development, such as Darwinism, and rejected theological explanations. At the Belfast Address, he praised Darwin and his theories of Evolution and was quoted saying that men of science "shall wrest from theology, the entire domain of cosmological theory..." This is when the separation of science and religion is believed to have begun.

John Tyndall's Death

1893

John Tyndall dies from an accidental overdose of sleeping medication.