PHYSICIST
James Clerk Maxwell
1831 - 1879
James Clerk Maxwell
James Clerk Maxwell (13 June 1831 – 5 November 1879) was a Scottish physicist and mathematician who was responsible for the classical theory of electromagnetic radiation, which was the first theory to describe electricity, magnetism and light as different manifestations of the same phenomenon. Maxwell's equations for electromagnetism achieved the second great unification in physics, where the first one had been realised by Isaac Newton. Read more on Wikipedia
Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of James Clerk Maxwell has received more than 5,450,077 page views. His biography is available in 128 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 124 in 2019). James Clerk Maxwell is the 25th most popular physicist (down from 16th in 2019), the 70th most popular biography from United Kingdom (down from 43rd in 2019) and the 6th most popular British Physicist.
James Clerk Maxwell was a Scottish physicist, mathematician, and astronomer. He is most famous for his work on electromagnetism.
Memorability Metrics
5.5M
Page Views (PV)
76.55
Historical Popularity Index (HPI)
128
Languages Editions (L)
8.58
Effective Languages (L*)
6.01
Coefficient of Variation (CV)
Among PHYSICISTS
Among physicists, James Clerk Maxwell ranks 25 out of 851. Before him are Enrico Fermi, André-Marie Ampère, Erwin Schrödinger, Georg Ohm, Christiaan Huygens, and Charles-Augustin de Coulomb. After him are Edward Teller, Heinrich Hertz, Hendrik Lorentz, Daniel Bernoulli, Ibn al-Haytham, and Luigi Galvani.
Most Popular Physicists in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsEnrico Fermi
1901 - 1954
HPI: 79.11
Rank: 19
André-Marie Ampère
1775 - 1836
HPI: 79.07
Rank: 20
Erwin Schrödinger
1887 - 1961
HPI: 78.90
Rank: 21
Georg Ohm
1789 - 1854
HPI: 78.54
Rank: 22
Christiaan Huygens
1629 - 1695
HPI: 78.11
Rank: 23
Charles-Augustin de Coulomb
1736 - 1806
HPI: 77.33
Rank: 24
James Clerk Maxwell
1831 - 1879
HPI: 76.55
Rank: 25
Edward Teller
1908 - 2003
HPI: 76.11
Rank: 26
Heinrich Hertz
1857 - 1894
HPI: 76.10
Rank: 27
Hendrik Lorentz
1853 - 1928
HPI: 75.95
Rank: 28
Daniel Bernoulli
1700 - 1782
HPI: 75.63
Rank: 29
Ibn al-Haytham
965 - 1039
HPI: 75.61
Rank: 30
Luigi Galvani
1737 - 1798
HPI: 75.43
Rank: 31
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1831, James Clerk Maxwell ranks 1. After him are Frederick III, German Emperor, Helena Blavatsky, Sitting Bull, James A. Garfield, Emperor Kōmei, John Stith Pemberton, Xianfeng Emperor, Richard Dedekind, Cheoljong of Joseon, Savitribai Phule, and Leo von Caprivi. Among people deceased in 1879, James Clerk Maxwell ranks 1. After him are Bernadette Soubirous, Honoré Daumier, Napoléon, Prince Imperial, Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, Adolf Anderssen, Albrecht von Roon, Gottfried Semper, Thomas Couture, Julia Margaret Cameron, August Grisebach, and Charles De Coster.
Others Born in 1831
Go to all RankingsJames Clerk Maxwell
PHYSICIST
1831 - 1879
HPI: 76.55
Rank: 1
Frederick III, German Emperor
POLITICIAN
1831 - 1888
HPI: 74.91
Rank: 2
Helena Blavatsky
OCCULTIST
1831 - 1891
HPI: 73.19
Rank: 3
Sitting Bull
POLITICIAN
1831 - 1890
HPI: 72.54
Rank: 4
James A. Garfield
POLITICIAN
1831 - 1881
HPI: 70.15
Rank: 5
Emperor Kōmei
POLITICIAN
1831 - 1867
HPI: 69.38
Rank: 6
John Stith Pemberton
CHEMIST
1831 - 1888
HPI: 69.07
Rank: 7
Xianfeng Emperor
POLITICIAN
1831 - 1861
HPI: 69.04
Rank: 8
Richard Dedekind
MATHEMATICIAN
1831 - 1916
HPI: 68.42
Rank: 9
Cheoljong of Joseon
POLITICIAN
1831 - 1864
HPI: 68.18
Rank: 10
Savitribai Phule
WRITER
1831 - 1897
HPI: 68.13
Rank: 11
Leo von Caprivi
POLITICIAN
1831 - 1899
HPI: 67.70
Rank: 12
Others Deceased in 1879
Go to all RankingsJames Clerk Maxwell
PHYSICIST
1831 - 1879
HPI: 76.55
Rank: 1
Bernadette Soubirous
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1844 - 1879
HPI: 74.15
Rank: 2
Honoré Daumier
PAINTER
1808 - 1879
HPI: 72.63
Rank: 3
Napoléon, Prince Imperial
POLITICIAN
1856 - 1879
HPI: 69.00
Rank: 4
Eugène Viollet-le-Duc
ARCHITECT
1814 - 1879
HPI: 67.41
Rank: 5
Adolf Anderssen
CHESS PLAYER
1818 - 1879
HPI: 65.04
Rank: 6
Albrecht von Roon
POLITICIAN
1803 - 1879
HPI: 64.51
Rank: 7
Gottfried Semper
ARCHITECT
1803 - 1879
HPI: 62.67
Rank: 8
Thomas Couture
PAINTER
1815 - 1879
HPI: 62.16
Rank: 9
Julia Margaret Cameron
PHOTOGRAPHER
1815 - 1879
HPI: 62.09
Rank: 10
August Grisebach
BIOLOGIST
1814 - 1879
HPI: 61.63
Rank: 11
Charles De Coster
WRITER
1827 - 1879
HPI: 61.51
Rank: 12
In United Kingdom
Among people born in United Kingdom, James Clerk Maxwell ranks 70 out of 8,785. Before him are Charles, Prince of Wales (1948), Harold Harefoot (1016), Thomas Robert Malthus (1766), Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell (1857), John Stuart Mill (1806), and Alex Ferguson (1941). After him are Edward Heath (1916), Ridley Scott (1937), John Dee (1527), George III of the United Kingdom (1738), David Bowie (1947), and Charlotte Brontë (1816).
Others born in United Kingdom
Go to all RankingsCharles, Prince of Wales
NOBLEMAN
1948 - Present
HPI: 76.89
Rank: 64
Harold Harefoot
NOBLEMAN
1016 - 1040
HPI: 76.89
Rank: 65
Thomas Robert Malthus
ECONOMIST
1766 - 1834
HPI: 76.87
Rank: 66
Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1857 - 1941
HPI: 76.81
Rank: 67
John Stuart Mill
ECONOMIST
1806 - 1873
HPI: 76.72
Rank: 68
Alex Ferguson
COACH
1941 - Present
HPI: 76.61
Rank: 69
James Clerk Maxwell
PHYSICIST
1831 - 1879
HPI: 76.55
Rank: 70
Edward Heath
POLITICIAN
1916 - 2005
HPI: 76.24
Rank: 71
Ridley Scott
FILM DIRECTOR
1937 - Present
HPI: 76.23
Rank: 72
John Dee
OCCULTIST
1527 - 1608
HPI: 76.15
Rank: 73
George III of the United Kingdom
POLITICIAN
1738 - 1820
HPI: 76.14
Rank: 74
David Bowie
SINGER
1947 - 2016
HPI: 75.99
Rank: 75
Charlotte Brontë
WRITER
1816 - 1855
HPI: 75.98
Rank: 76
Among PHYSICISTS In United Kingdom
Among physicists born in United Kingdom, James Clerk Maxwell ranks 6. Before him are Isaac Newton (1643), Stephen Hawking (1942), Michael Faraday (1791), James Prescott Joule (1818), and Robert Hooke (1635). After him are Paul Dirac (1902), J. J. Thomson (1856), William Gilbert (1544), William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin (1824), Thomas Young (1773), and James Chadwick (1891).
Isaac Newton
1643 - 1726
HPI: 97.67
Rank: 1
Stephen Hawking
1942 - 2018
HPI: 82.87
Rank: 2
Michael Faraday
1791 - 1867
HPI: 82.73
Rank: 3
James Prescott Joule
1818 - 1889
HPI: 80.53
Rank: 4
Robert Hooke
1635 - 1703
HPI: 80.46
Rank: 5
James Clerk Maxwell
1831 - 1879
HPI: 76.55
Rank: 6
Paul Dirac
1902 - 1984
HPI: 74.58
Rank: 7
J. J. Thomson
1856 - 1940
HPI: 73.42
Rank: 8
William Gilbert
1544 - 1603
HPI: 73.20
Rank: 9
William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin
1824 - 1907
HPI: 72.70
Rank: 10
Thomas Young
1773 - 1829
HPI: 72.13
Rank: 11
James Chadwick
1891 - 1974
HPI: 70.47
Rank: 12