PHYSICIST
Benjamin Thompson
1753 - 1814
Benjamin Thompson
Colonel Sir Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford, FRS (26 March 1753 – 21 August 1814), was an American-born British military officer, scientist, inventor and nobleman. Born in Woburn, Massachusetts, he supported the Loyalist cause during the American War of Independence, commanding the King's American Dragoons during the conflict. After the war ended in 1783, Thompson moved to London, where he was recognised for his administrative talents and received a knighthood from George III in 1784. Read more on Wikipedia
Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Benjamin Thompson has received more than 443,781 page views. His biography is available in 39 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 36 in 2019). Benjamin Thompson is the 191st most popular physicist (down from 166th in 2019), the 712th most popular biography from United States (down from 709th in 2019) and the 28th most popular American Physicist.
Benjamin Thompson was most famous for his work in the field of thermodynamics. His most notable contribution to the field was his discovery of the heat equation, also known as the first law of thermodynamics.
Memorability Metrics
440k
Page Views (PV)
69.63
Historical Popularity Index (HPI)
39
Languages Editions (L)
8.37
Effective Languages (L*)
2.67
Coefficient of Variation (CV)
Among PHYSICISTS
Among physicists, Benjamin Thompson ranks 191 out of 851. Before him are Josiah Willard Gibbs, Klaus von Klitzing, Charles H. Townes, David Bohm, Gustav Ludwig Hertz, and Wolfgang Paul. After him are Robert H. Goddard, Nikolay Basov, Douglas Osheroff, Herbert Kroemer, Edward Mills Purcell, and Steven Weinberg.
Most Popular Physicists in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsJosiah Willard Gibbs
1839 - 1903
HPI: 69.87
Rank: 185
Klaus von Klitzing
1943 - Present
HPI: 69.86
Rank: 186
Charles H. Townes
1915 - 2015
HPI: 69.84
Rank: 187
David Bohm
1992 - 1992
HPI: 69.75
Rank: 188
Gustav Ludwig Hertz
1887 - 1975
HPI: 69.71
Rank: 189
Wolfgang Paul
1913 - 1993
HPI: 69.70
Rank: 190
Benjamin Thompson
1753 - 1814
HPI: 69.63
Rank: 191
Robert H. Goddard
1882 - 1945
HPI: 69.62
Rank: 192
Nikolay Basov
1922 - 2001
HPI: 69.55
Rank: 193
Douglas Osheroff
1945 - Present
HPI: 69.49
Rank: 194
Herbert Kroemer
1928 - 2024
HPI: 69.48
Rank: 195
Edward Mills Purcell
1912 - 1997
HPI: 69.43
Rank: 196
Steven Weinberg
1933 - 2021
HPI: 69.42
Rank: 197
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1753, Benjamin Thompson ranks 8. Before him are Joseph de Maistre, Lazare Carnot, Jean-Baptiste Kléber, Utamaro, Marie Joséphine of Savoy, and Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla. After him are Phillis Wheatley, Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Denmark, Jean Jacques Régis de Cambacérès, Louise Marie Adélaïde de Bourbon, Duchess of Orléans, Franz Karl Achard, and Louis I, Grand Duke of Hesse. Among people deceased in 1814, Benjamin Thompson ranks 6. Before him are Empress Joséphine, Marquis de Sade, Johann Gottlieb Fichte, Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, and Maria Carolina of Austria. After him are Marie-Louise O'Murphy, Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, Charles-Joseph, 7th Prince of Ligne, Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt, Frederick Christian II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg, and Louis-Sébastien Mercier.
Others Born in 1753
Go to all RankingsJoseph de Maistre
PHILOSOPHER
1753 - 1821
HPI: 72.51
Rank: 2
Lazare Carnot
POLITICIAN
1753 - 1823
HPI: 71.48
Rank: 3
Jean-Baptiste Kléber
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1753 - 1800
HPI: 71.40
Rank: 4
Utamaro
PAINTER
1753 - 1806
HPI: 71.12
Rank: 5
Marie Joséphine of Savoy
NOBLEMAN
1753 - 1810
HPI: 70.17
Rank: 6
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1753 - 1811
HPI: 69.89
Rank: 7
Benjamin Thompson
PHYSICIST
1753 - 1814
HPI: 69.63
Rank: 8
Phillis Wheatley
WRITER
1753 - 1784
HPI: 69.57
Rank: 9
Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Denmark
POLITICIAN
1753 - 1805
HPI: 67.91
Rank: 10
Jean Jacques Régis de Cambacérès
POLITICIAN
1753 - 1824
HPI: 67.10
Rank: 11
Louise Marie Adélaïde de Bourbon, Duchess of Orléans
NOBLEMAN
1753 - 1821
HPI: 66.30
Rank: 12
Franz Karl Achard
CHEMIST
1753 - 1821
HPI: 66.16
Rank: 13
Louis I, Grand Duke of Hesse
POLITICIAN
1753 - 1830
HPI: 65.22
Rank: 14
Others Deceased in 1814
Go to all RankingsEmpress Joséphine
COMPANION
1763 - 1814
HPI: 80.96
Rank: 1
Marquis de Sade
WRITER
1740 - 1814
HPI: 80.74
Rank: 2
Johann Gottlieb Fichte
PHILOSOPHER
1762 - 1814
HPI: 80.20
Rank: 3
Joseph-Ignace Guillotin
PHYSICIAN
1738 - 1814
HPI: 75.81
Rank: 4
Maria Carolina of Austria
POLITICIAN
1752 - 1814
HPI: 74.60
Rank: 5
Benjamin Thompson
PHYSICIST
1753 - 1814
HPI: 69.63
Rank: 6
Marie-Louise O'Murphy
SINGER
1737 - 1814
HPI: 68.61
Rank: 7
Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre
WRITER
1737 - 1814
HPI: 67.40
Rank: 8
Charles-Joseph, 7th Prince of Ligne
POLITICIAN
1735 - 1814
HPI: 64.89
Rank: 9
Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt
POLITICIAN
1757 - 1814
HPI: 63.46
Rank: 10
Frederick Christian II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg
POLITICIAN
1765 - 1814
HPI: 63.21
Rank: 11
Louis-Sébastien Mercier
WRITER
1740 - 1814
HPI: 62.88
Rank: 12
In United States
Among people born in United States, Benjamin Thompson ranks 712 out of 20,380. Before him are Billie Jean King (1943), John McCarthy (1927), Nat King Cole (1919), Lee Marvin (1924), Kenny Rogers (1938), and John Deere (1804). After him are Jared Diamond (1937), Robert H. Goddard (1882), Haldan Keffer Hartline (1903), Montgomery Clift (1920), Edwin Booth (1833), and Robert Nozick (1938).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsBillie Jean King
TENNIS PLAYER
1943 - Present
HPI: 69.69
Rank: 706
John McCarthy
COMPUTER SCIENTIST
1927 - 2011
HPI: 69.68
Rank: 707
Nat King Cole
MUSICIAN
1919 - 1965
HPI: 69.67
Rank: 708
Lee Marvin
ACTOR
1924 - 1987
HPI: 69.66
Rank: 709
Kenny Rogers
SINGER
1938 - 2020
HPI: 69.65
Rank: 710
John Deere
INVENTOR
1804 - 1886
HPI: 69.64
Rank: 711
Benjamin Thompson
PHYSICIST
1753 - 1814
HPI: 69.63
Rank: 712
Jared Diamond
HISTORIAN
1937 - Present
HPI: 69.63
Rank: 713
Robert H. Goddard
PHYSICIST
1882 - 1945
HPI: 69.62
Rank: 714
Haldan Keffer Hartline
PHYSICIAN
1903 - 1983
HPI: 69.61
Rank: 715
Montgomery Clift
ACTOR
1920 - 1966
HPI: 69.61
Rank: 716
Edwin Booth
ACTOR
1833 - 1893
HPI: 69.60
Rank: 717
Robert Nozick
PHILOSOPHER
1938 - 2002
HPI: 69.60
Rank: 718
Among PHYSICISTS In United States
Among physicists born in United States, Benjamin Thompson ranks 28. Before him are Rosalyn Sussman Yalow (1921), Martin Lewis Perl (1927), James Rainwater (1917), Josiah Willard Gibbs (1839), Charles H. Townes (1915), and David Bohm (1992). After him are Robert H. Goddard (1882), Douglas Osheroff (1945), Edward Mills Purcell (1912), Steven Weinberg (1933), Michio Kaku (1947), and David J. Wineland (1944).
Rosalyn Sussman Yalow
1921 - 2011
HPI: 70.33
Rank: 22
Martin Lewis Perl
1927 - 2014
HPI: 70.03
Rank: 23
James Rainwater
1917 - 1986
HPI: 69.98
Rank: 24
Josiah Willard Gibbs
1839 - 1903
HPI: 69.87
Rank: 25
Charles H. Townes
1915 - 2015
HPI: 69.84
Rank: 26
David Bohm
1992 - 1992
HPI: 69.75
Rank: 27
Benjamin Thompson
1753 - 1814
HPI: 69.63
Rank: 28
Robert H. Goddard
1882 - 1945
HPI: 69.62
Rank: 29
Douglas Osheroff
1945 - Present
HPI: 69.49
Rank: 30
Edward Mills Purcell
1912 - 1997
HPI: 69.43
Rank: 31
Steven Weinberg
1933 - 2021
HPI: 69.42
Rank: 32
Michio Kaku
1947 - Present
HPI: 69.31
Rank: 33
David J. Wineland
1944 - Present
HPI: 69.29
Rank: 34