John Dalton Biography

John Dalton biography

Quick Facts

NAME: John Dalton
OCCUPATION: Educator, Scholar, Chemist, Meteorologist, Journalist
BIRTH DATE: September 06, 1766
DEATH DATE: July 26, 1844
EDUCATION: John Fletcher's Quaker grammar school
PLACE OF BIRTH: Eaglesfield, United Kingdom
PLACE OF DEATH: Manchester, United Kingdom

Best Known For

Chemist John Dalton is credited with pioneering modern atomic theory. He was also the first to study color blindness.

Quiz

Think you know about Biography?

Answer questions and see how you rank against other players.

Play Now

Print Cite This

John Dalton

APA Style

John Dalton. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 09:46, Jun 18, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/john-dalton-9265201.

Harvard Style

John Dalton. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/john-dalton-9265201 [Accessed 18 Jun 2013].

MLA Style

"John Dalton." 2013. The Biography Channel website. Jun 18 2013, 09:46 http://www.biography.com/people/john-dalton-9265201.

MHRA Style

"John Dalton," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/john-dalton-9265201 [accessed Jun 18, 2013].

Chicago Style

"John Dalton," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/john-dalton-9265201 (accessed Jun 18, 2013).

CBE/CSE Style

John Dalton [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 Jun 18] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/john-dalton-9265201.

Bluebook Style

John Dalton, http://www.biography.com/people/john-dalton-9265201 (last visited Jun 18, 2013).

AMA Style

John Dalton. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/john-dalton-9265201. Accessed Jun 18, 2013.

The splitting of the atom in the 20th century could most likely not have been accomplished without Dalton laying the foundation of knowledge about the atomic makeup of simple and complex molecules. Dalton's discoveries also allowed for the cost-efficient manufacturing of chemical compounds,

since they essentially give manufacturers a recipe for determining the correct chemical proportions in a given compound.

The majority of conclusions that made up Dalton's atomic theory still stand today.

"Now with nanotechnology, atoms are the centerpiece," said Nottingham University Professor of Chemistry David Garner. "Atoms are manipulated directly to make new medicines, semiconductors and plastics." He went on to further explain, "He gave us the first understanding of the nature of materials. Now we can design molecules with a pretty good idea of their properties."

In 2003, on the bicentennial of Dalton's public announcement of his atomic theory, the Manchester Museum held a tribute to the man, his life and his groundbreaking scientific discoveries.