PHYSICIST
Augustin-Jean Fresnel
1788 - 1827
Augustin-Jean Fresnel
Augustin-Jean Fresnel (10 May 1788 – 14 July 1827) was a French civil engineer and physicist whose research in optics led to the almost unanimous acceptance of the wave theory of light, excluding any remnant of Newton's corpuscular theory, from the late 1830s until the end of the 19th century. He is perhaps better known for inventing the catadioptric (reflective/refractive) Fresnel lens and for pioneering the use of "stepped" lenses to extend the visibility of lighthouses, saving countless lives at sea. Read more on Wikipedia
Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Augustin-Jean Fresnel has received more than 550,535 page views. His biography is available in 64 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 60 in 2019). Augustin-Jean Fresnel is the 138th most popular physicist (down from 109th in 2019), the 589th most popular biography from France (down from 529th in 2019) and the 17th most popular French Physicist.
Augustin-Jean Fresnel is most famous for his work in optics, which led to the invention of the Fresnel lens.
Memorability Metrics
550k
Page Views (PV)
66.85
Historical Popularity Index (HPI)
64
Languages Editions (L)
8.68
Effective Languages (L*)
3.86
Coefficient of Variation (CV)
Among PHYSICISTS
Among physicists, Augustin-Jean Fresnel ranks 138 out of 851. Before him are Laura Bassi, Felix Bloch, Walther Bothe, Hideki Yukawa, William Henry Bragg, and Peter Grünberg. After him are Rudolf Mössbauer, George Paget Thomson, Donald A. Glaser, Auguste Piccard, Kip Thorne, and Jacques Charles.
Most Popular Physicists in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsLaura Bassi
1711 - 1778
HPI: 67.23
Rank: 132
Felix Bloch
1905 - 1983
HPI: 67.21
Rank: 133
Walther Bothe
1891 - 1957
HPI: 67.08
Rank: 134
Hideki Yukawa
1907 - 1981
HPI: 66.99
Rank: 135
William Henry Bragg
1862 - 1942
HPI: 66.95
Rank: 136
Peter Grünberg
1939 - 2018
HPI: 66.86
Rank: 137
Augustin-Jean Fresnel
1788 - 1827
HPI: 66.85
Rank: 138
Rudolf Mössbauer
1929 - 2011
HPI: 66.84
Rank: 139
George Paget Thomson
1892 - 1975
HPI: 66.82
Rank: 140
Donald A. Glaser
1926 - 2013
HPI: 66.79
Rank: 141
Auguste Piccard
1884 - 1962
HPI: 66.77
Rank: 142
Kip Thorne
1940 - Present
HPI: 66.60
Rank: 143
Jacques Charles
1763 - 1823
HPI: 66.60
Rank: 144
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1788, Augustin-Jean Fresnel ranks 4. Before him are Lord Byron, Arthur Schopenhauer, and Sarah Baartman. After him are Princess Augusta of Bavaria, Infante Carlos, Count of Molina, Jean-Victor Poncelet, Christian Jürgensen Thomsen, Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff, Princess Wilhelmine of Baden, Archduke Rudolf of Austria, and Étienne Cabet. Among people deceased in 1827, Augustin-Jean Fresnel ranks 7. Before him are Ludwig van Beethoven, Alessandro Volta, Pierre-Simon Laplace, Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, William Blake, and Frederick Augustus I of Saxony. After him are Wilhelm Hauff, Maria Theresa of Austria, George Canning, Ugo Foscolo, Ernst Chladni, and Samuel Crompton.
Others Born in 1788
Go to all RankingsLord Byron
WRITER
1788 - 1824
HPI: 87.18
Rank: 1
Arthur Schopenhauer
PHILOSOPHER
1788 - 1860
HPI: 84.65
Rank: 2
Sarah Baartman
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1788 - 1815
HPI: 70.09
Rank: 3
Augustin-Jean Fresnel
PHYSICIST
1788 - 1827
HPI: 66.85
Rank: 4
Princess Augusta of Bavaria
NOBLEMAN
1788 - 1851
HPI: 64.89
Rank: 5
Infante Carlos, Count of Molina
POLITICIAN
1788 - 1855
HPI: 64.49
Rank: 6
Jean-Victor Poncelet
MATHEMATICIAN
1788 - 1867
HPI: 64.47
Rank: 7
Christian Jürgensen Thomsen
ARCHAEOLOGIST
1788 - 1865
HPI: 62.83
Rank: 8
Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff
WRITER
1788 - 1857
HPI: 62.21
Rank: 9
Princess Wilhelmine of Baden
COMPANION
1788 - 1836
HPI: 62.07
Rank: 10
Archduke Rudolf of Austria
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1788 - 1831
HPI: 62.04
Rank: 11
Étienne Cabet
PHILOSOPHER
1788 - 1856
HPI: 61.76
Rank: 12
Others Deceased in 1827
Go to all RankingsLudwig van Beethoven
COMPOSER
1770 - 1827
HPI: 94.62
Rank: 1
Alessandro Volta
PHYSICIST
1745 - 1827
HPI: 81.97
Rank: 2
Pierre-Simon Laplace
MATHEMATICIAN
1749 - 1827
HPI: 77.23
Rank: 3
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1746 - 1827
HPI: 76.97
Rank: 4
William Blake
WRITER
1757 - 1827
HPI: 72.71
Rank: 5
Frederick Augustus I of Saxony
POLITICIAN
1750 - 1827
HPI: 67.05
Rank: 6
Augustin-Jean Fresnel
PHYSICIST
1788 - 1827
HPI: 66.85
Rank: 7
Wilhelm Hauff
WRITER
1802 - 1827
HPI: 63.43
Rank: 8
Maria Theresa of Austria
POLITICIAN
1767 - 1827
HPI: 61.59
Rank: 9
George Canning
POLITICIAN
1770 - 1827
HPI: 60.69
Rank: 10
Ugo Foscolo
WRITER
1778 - 1827
HPI: 60.60
Rank: 11
Ernst Chladni
PHYSICIST
1756 - 1827
HPI: 59.55
Rank: 12
Samuel Crompton
INVENTOR
1753 - 1827
HPI: 59.47
Rank: 13
In France
Among people born in France, Augustin-Jean Fresnel ranks 589 out of 6,770. Before him are Maurice Jarre (1924), Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet (1627), Henri Barbusse (1873), René Lacoste (1904), Gérard de Nerval (1808), and Joseph Proust (1754). After him are Roger Garaudy (1913), Margaret of Anjou (1430), Françoise Hardy (1944), Antipope Clement VII (1342), Jean-Jacques Annaud (1943), and Lazare Carnot (1753).
Others born in France
Go to all RankingsMaurice Jarre
COMPOSER
1924 - 2009
HPI: 66.93
Rank: 583
Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet
WRITER
1627 - 1704
HPI: 66.93
Rank: 584
Henri Barbusse
WRITER
1873 - 1935
HPI: 66.91
Rank: 585
René Lacoste
TENNIS PLAYER
1904 - 1996
HPI: 66.90
Rank: 586
Gérard de Nerval
WRITER
1808 - 1855
HPI: 66.89
Rank: 587
Joseph Proust
CHEMIST
1754 - 1826
HPI: 66.86
Rank: 588
Augustin-Jean Fresnel
PHYSICIST
1788 - 1827
HPI: 66.85
Rank: 589
Roger Garaudy
PHILOSOPHER
1913 - 2012
HPI: 66.82
Rank: 590
Margaret of Anjou
POLITICIAN
1430 - 1482
HPI: 66.79
Rank: 591
Françoise Hardy
SINGER
1944 - 2024
HPI: 66.75
Rank: 592
Antipope Clement VII
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1342 - 1394
HPI: 66.73
Rank: 593
Jean-Jacques Annaud
FILM DIRECTOR
1943 - Present
HPI: 66.72
Rank: 594
Lazare Carnot
POLITICIAN
1753 - 1823
HPI: 66.70
Rank: 595
Among PHYSICISTS In France
Among physicists born in France, Augustin-Jean Fresnel ranks 17. Before him are Jean Baptiste Perrin (1870), François Arago (1786), Alfred Kastler (1902), Jean-Baptiste Biot (1774), Hippolyte Fizeau (1819), and Paul Langevin (1872). After him are Jacques Charles (1763), Albert Fert (1938), Benoît Paul Émile Clapeyron (1799), Louis Néel (1904), Alain Aspect (1947), and Edme Mariotte (1620).
Jean Baptiste Perrin
1870 - 1942
HPI: 69.59
Rank: 11
François Arago
1786 - 1853
HPI: 68.52
Rank: 12
Alfred Kastler
1902 - 1984
HPI: 68.28
Rank: 13
Jean-Baptiste Biot
1774 - 1862
HPI: 68.27
Rank: 14
Hippolyte Fizeau
1819 - 1896
HPI: 68.18
Rank: 15
Paul Langevin
1872 - 1946
HPI: 67.99
Rank: 16
Augustin-Jean Fresnel
1788 - 1827
HPI: 66.85
Rank: 17
Jacques Charles
1763 - 1823
HPI: 66.60
Rank: 18
Albert Fert
1938 - Present
HPI: 66.21
Rank: 19
Benoît Paul Émile Clapeyron
1799 - 1864
HPI: 65.84
Rank: 20
Louis Néel
1904 - 2000
HPI: 65.75
Rank: 21
Alain Aspect
1947 - Present
HPI: 64.18
Rank: 22
Edme Mariotte
1620 - 1684
HPI: 63.23
Rank: 23