Joseph John Thomson was born in Cheetham Hill, near Manchester, England on December 18, 1856. His father was a bookseller and a publisher. Having discovered a liking for physics, he wanted to become an engineer. His family supported him, and so while waiting for an opening in the apprentices at the engineering firm, Thomson was sent to Owens College when he was 14. His father died 2 years later. His mother could not afford the premium, so he gave up engineering and stayed at the college with the help of small scholarships. Thomas Barker, his professor of mathematics saw a bright mind in Th…
