Learn about the history of science by reading about the significant scientific events that took place on this day in history.
1929 - Peter Higgs was born.
Higgs is a British physicist who proposed the origin of mass of elementary particles from broken symmetry in the electroweak theory. This mechanism predicts a new particle called a Higgs boson in the Standard Model of elementary particles.1919 - Einstein's theory of relativity verified.
Einstein's relativity theory was demonstrated during a total solar eclipse when the position of stars close to sun's path during the eclipse appeared to move as the light was bent by the sun's gravitational pull. Part of the relativity theory was that light is affected by gravity in the same manner as matter.1829 - Humphry Davy died.
Davy was a British chemist and inventor who isolated or discovered several alkali and alkaline earth metals. He discovered sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, barium, strontium and boron and investigated the properties of the elements chlorine and iodine. He also invented the Davy lamp that was vitally important to coal miners. The lamp used a fine mesh to burn a heavy oil without allowing it to spread to various flammable gases present in coal mines that would cause explosions. It could also be used to detect carbon dioxide.
