This Week in Physics History: July 28 - August 3
Monday July 28, 2008
- Aug. 1, 1774 - While serving as a tutor, British minister Joseph Priestley (an early supporter of the new Unitarian church) discovers the element oxygen, which he named upon publishing the finding in 1775. Oxygen had been discovered twice before, but the results received little attention to Priestley usually gets credit for the discovery.
- Aug. 2, 1939 - Albert Einstein writes to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt regarding concerns that Germany may be able to develop an atomic bomb, based upon the findings of his own theory of relativity. In the letter, Einstein urged "watchfulness and, if necessary, quick action" by the United States in atomic research.
- Aug. 1, 1946 - U.S. President Harry S. Truman signs into law the congressional acts that establish the Fulbright Scholarship program and the Atomic Energy Commission.
- July 29, 1957 - The International Atomic Energy Agency is founded with the goal of promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
- July 29, 2005 - Astronomers announce the discovery of Eris (called Xena at the time of discovery and for about a year thereafter), a possible "tenth planet" in our solar system. It was in part due to the discovery of Eris that astronomers have chosen to "demote" Pluto to the status of dwarf planet, as more bodies in our solar system were discovered which qualified for conventional "planet" status.
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