Thomas Young (scientist)

Thomas Young FRS
Portrait by Henry Perronet Briggs, 1822
Born	(1773-06-13)13 June 1773 Milverton, Somerset, England
Died	10 May 1829(1829-05-10) (aged 55) London, England
Alma mater	University of Edinburgh Medical School University of Göttingen Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Known for	Wave theory of light Double-slit experiment Astigmatism Young–Dupré equation Young–Helmholtz theory Young–Laplace equation Young temperament Young's Modulus Young's rule
Scientific career
Fields	Physics Physiology Egyptology
Signature

Thomas Young FRS (13 June 1773 – 10 May 1829) was a British polymath who made notable contributions to the fields of vision, light, solid mechanics, energy, physiology, language, musical harmony, and Egyptology. He was instrumental in the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs, specifically the Rosetta Stone.

Young has been described as "The Last Man Who Knew Everything".^[1] His work influenced that of William Herschel, Hermann von Helmholtz, James Clerk Maxwell, and Albert Einstein. Young is credited with establishing Christiaan Huygens' wave theory of light, in contrast to the corpuscular theory of Isaac Newton.^[2] Young's work was subsequently supported by the work of Augustin-Jean Fresnel.^[3]