PHYSICIST
David Brewster
1781 - 1868
David Brewster
Sir David Brewster KH PRSE FRS FSA Scot FSSA MICE (11 December 1781 – 10 February 1868) was a Scottish scientist, inventor, author, and academic administrator. In science he is principally remembered for his experimental work in physical optics, mostly concerned with the study of the polarization of light and including the discovery of Brewster's angle. He studied the birefringence of crystals under compression and discovered photoelasticity, thereby creating the field of optical mineralogy. Read more on Wikipedia
Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of David Brewster has received more than 429,038 page views. His biography is available in 53 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 48 in 2019). David Brewster is the 256th most popular physicist (down from 215th in 2019), the 701st most popular biography from United Kingdom (down from 694th in 2019) and the 29th most popular British Physicist.
David Brewster was a Scottish scientist and inventor. He is most famous for inventing the kaleidoscope.
Memorability Metrics
430k
Page Views (PV)
62.38
Historical Popularity Index (HPI)
53
Languages Editions (L)
8.05
Effective Languages (L*)
3.95
Coefficient of Variation (CV)
Among PHYSICISTS
Among physicists, David Brewster ranks 256 out of 851. Before him are Ivar Giaever, Claude-Louis Navier, Brian Josephson, Charles Wheatstone, Masatoshi Koshiba, and Philip Warren Anderson. After him are Otto Robert Frisch, Rainer Weiss, Syukuro Manabe, Max Delbrück, John Hasbrouck Van Vleck, and Julian Schwinger.
Most Popular Physicists in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsIvar Giaever
1929 - Present
HPI: 62.61
Rank: 250
Claude-Louis Navier
1785 - 1836
HPI: 62.49
Rank: 251
Brian Josephson
1940 - Present
HPI: 62.49
Rank: 252
Charles Wheatstone
1802 - 1875
HPI: 62.46
Rank: 253
Masatoshi Koshiba
1926 - 2020
HPI: 62.45
Rank: 254
Philip Warren Anderson
1923 - 2020
HPI: 62.42
Rank: 255
David Brewster
1781 - 1868
HPI: 62.38
Rank: 256
Otto Robert Frisch
1904 - 1979
HPI: 62.34
Rank: 257
Rainer Weiss
1932 - Present
HPI: 62.31
Rank: 258
Syukuro Manabe
1931 - Present
HPI: 62.29
Rank: 259
Max Delbrück
1906 - 1981
HPI: 62.24
Rank: 260
John Hasbrouck Van Vleck
1899 - 1980
HPI: 62.22
Rank: 261
Julian Schwinger
1918 - 1994
HPI: 62.21
Rank: 262
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1781, David Brewster ranks 14. Before him are Stamford Raffles, Adelbert von Chamisso, William I of Württemberg, Anton Diabelli, Achim von Arnim, and Frederica of Baden. After him are Joseph Karl Stieler, Princess Juliane of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Mauro Giuliani, Karl Christian Friedrich Krause, Archduke Ferdinand Karl Joseph of Austria-Este, and Johann Baptist von Spix. Among people deceased in 1868, David Brewster ranks 12. Before him are Mongkut, August Schleicher, Alexandre Colonna-Walewski, Okita Sōji, William T. G. Morton, and Mihailo Obrenović. After him are Adalbert Stifter, Franz Berwald, James Mayer de Rothschild, Kondō Isami, Eléonore Denuelle de La Plaigne, and James Brooke.
Others Born in 1781
Go to all RankingsStamford Raffles
POLITICIAN
1781 - 1826
HPI: 65.71
Rank: 8
Adelbert von Chamisso
BIOLOGIST
1781 - 1838
HPI: 64.99
Rank: 9
William I of Württemberg
POLITICIAN
1781 - 1864
HPI: 63.64
Rank: 10
Anton Diabelli
MUSICIAN
1781 - 1858
HPI: 62.83
Rank: 11
Achim von Arnim
WRITER
1781 - 1831
HPI: 62.56
Rank: 12
Frederica of Baden
COMPANION
1781 - 1826
HPI: 62.55
Rank: 13
David Brewster
PHYSICIST
1781 - 1868
HPI: 62.38
Rank: 14
Joseph Karl Stieler
PAINTER
1781 - 1858
HPI: 61.81
Rank: 15
Princess Juliane of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
NOBLEMAN
1781 - 1860
HPI: 60.47
Rank: 16
Mauro Giuliani
MUSICIAN
1781 - 1829
HPI: 59.94
Rank: 17
Karl Christian Friedrich Krause
PHILOSOPHER
1781 - 1832
HPI: 58.11
Rank: 18
Archduke Ferdinand Karl Joseph of Austria-Este
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1781 - 1850
HPI: 57.60
Rank: 19
Johann Baptist von Spix
BIOLOGIST
1781 - 1826
HPI: 56.77
Rank: 20
Others Deceased in 1868
Go to all RankingsMongkut
POLITICIAN
1804 - 1868
HPI: 67.31
Rank: 6
August Schleicher
LINGUIST
1821 - 1868
HPI: 65.68
Rank: 7
Alexandre Colonna-Walewski
POLITICIAN
1810 - 1868
HPI: 65.44
Rank: 8
Okita Sōji
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1842 - 1868
HPI: 64.41
Rank: 9
William T. G. Morton
PHYSICIAN
1819 - 1868
HPI: 64.24
Rank: 10
Mihailo Obrenović
POLITICIAN
1823 - 1868
HPI: 63.09
Rank: 11
David Brewster
PHYSICIST
1781 - 1868
HPI: 62.38
Rank: 12
Adalbert Stifter
WRITER
1805 - 1868
HPI: 61.30
Rank: 13
Franz Berwald
MUSICIAN
1796 - 1868
HPI: 61.27
Rank: 14
James Mayer de Rothschild
BUSINESSPERSON
1792 - 1868
HPI: 60.63
Rank: 15
Kondō Isami
POLITICIAN
1834 - 1868
HPI: 59.69
Rank: 16
Eléonore Denuelle de La Plaigne
COMPANION
1787 - 1868
HPI: 59.45
Rank: 17
James Brooke
POLITICIAN
1803 - 1868
HPI: 59.31
Rank: 18
In United Kingdom
Among people born in United Kingdom, David Brewster ranks 701 out of 8,785. Before him are Benjamin Hornigold (1680), Charles Wheatstone (1802), James May (1963), George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham (1592), Peter Greenaway (1942), and Francis Hutcheson (1694). After him are William Webb Ellis (1806), Julian Huxley (1887), Chris Rea (1951), Ann Radcliffe (1764), John Surtees (1934), and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (1964).
Others born in United Kingdom
Go to all RankingsBenjamin Hornigold
PIRATE
1680 - 1719
HPI: 62.47
Rank: 695
Charles Wheatstone
PHYSICIST
1802 - 1875
HPI: 62.46
Rank: 696
James May
WRITER
1963 - Present
HPI: 62.45
Rank: 697
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
POLITICIAN
1592 - 1628
HPI: 62.44
Rank: 698
Peter Greenaway
FILM DIRECTOR
1942 - Present
HPI: 62.41
Rank: 699
Francis Hutcheson
PHILOSOPHER
1694 - 1746
HPI: 62.41
Rank: 700
David Brewster
PHYSICIST
1781 - 1868
HPI: 62.38
Rank: 701
William Webb Ellis
INVENTOR
1806 - 1872
HPI: 62.37
Rank: 702
Julian Huxley
BIOLOGIST
1887 - 1975
HPI: 62.37
Rank: 703
Chris Rea
SINGER
1951 - Present
HPI: 62.37
Rank: 704
Ann Radcliffe
WRITER
1764 - 1823
HPI: 62.37
Rank: 705
John Surtees
RACING DRIVER
1934 - 2017
HPI: 62.36
Rank: 706
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
NOBLEMAN
1964 - Present
HPI: 62.36
Rank: 707
Among PHYSICISTS In United Kingdom
Among physicists born in United Kingdom, David Brewster ranks 29. Before him are David J. Thouless (1934), William Shockley (1910), John Kendrew (1917), Patrick Blackett (1897), Brian Josephson (1940), and Charles Wheatstone (1802). After him are John Cockcroft (1897), Daniel Rutherford (1749), Andrew Huxley (1917), Osborne Reynolds (1842), Anthony James Leggett (1938), and Nevill Francis Mott (1905).
David J. Thouless
1934 - 2019
HPI: 63.98
Rank: 23
William Shockley
1910 - 1989
HPI: 63.12
Rank: 24
John Kendrew
1917 - 1997
HPI: 62.99
Rank: 25
Patrick Blackett
1897 - 1974
HPI: 62.89
Rank: 26
Brian Josephson
1940 - Present
HPI: 62.49
Rank: 27
Charles Wheatstone
1802 - 1875
HPI: 62.46
Rank: 28
David Brewster
1781 - 1868
HPI: 62.38
Rank: 29
John Cockcroft
1897 - 1967
HPI: 62.20
Rank: 30
Daniel Rutherford
1749 - 1819
HPI: 62.16
Rank: 31
Andrew Huxley
1917 - 2012
HPI: 61.99
Rank: 32
Osborne Reynolds
1842 - 1912
HPI: 61.17
Rank: 33
Anthony James Leggett
1938 - Present
HPI: 60.93
Rank: 34
Nevill Francis Mott
1905 - 1996
HPI: 60.68
Rank: 35