PHYSICIST
Joseph Swan
1828 - 1914
Joseph Swan
Sir Joseph Wilson Swan FRS (31 October 1828 – 27 May 1914) was an English physicist, chemist, and inventor. He is known as an independent early developer of a successful incandescent light bulb, and is the person responsible for developing and supplying the first incandescent lights used to illuminate homes and public buildings, including the Savoy Theatre, London, in 1881. In 1904, Swan was knighted by King Edward VII, awarded the Royal Society's Hughes Medal, and was made an honorary member of the Pharmaceutical Society. Read more on Wikipedia
Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Joseph Swan has received more than 893,054 page views. His biography is available in 35 different languages on Wikipedia. Joseph Swan is the 330th most popular physicist (down from 268th in 2019), the 1,094th most popular biography from United Kingdom (down from 879th in 2019) and the 39th most popular British Physicist.
Joseph Swan is most famous for the invention of the incandescent light bulb.
Memorability Metrics
890k
Page Views (PV)
58.85
Historical Popularity Index (HPI)
35
Languages Editions (L)
5.74
Effective Languages (L*)
3.52
Coefficient of Variation (CV)
Among PHYSICISTS
Among physicists, Joseph Swan ranks 330 out of 851. Before him are Thomas Johann Seebeck, Bruno Pontecorvo, John B. Goodenough, Luis Walter Alvarez, Daniel C. Tsui, and Félix Savart. After him are Pierre Louis Dulong, Ami Argand, Donna Strickland, Otto Schmidt, Frank Wilczek, and Ferenc Krausz.
Most Popular Physicists in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsThomas Johann Seebeck
1770 - 1831
HPI: 59.38
Rank: 324
Bruno Pontecorvo
1913 - 1993
HPI: 59.33
Rank: 325
John B. Goodenough
1922 - 2023
HPI: 59.13
Rank: 326
Luis Walter Alvarez
1911 - 1988
HPI: 58.94
Rank: 327
Daniel C. Tsui
1939 - Present
HPI: 58.94
Rank: 328
Félix Savart
1791 - 1841
HPI: 58.91
Rank: 329
Joseph Swan
1828 - 1914
HPI: 58.85
Rank: 330
Pierre Louis Dulong
1785 - 1838
HPI: 58.84
Rank: 331
Ami Argand
1750 - 1803
HPI: 58.82
Rank: 332
Donna Strickland
1959 - Present
HPI: 58.80
Rank: 333
Otto Schmidt
1891 - 1956
HPI: 58.76
Rank: 334
Frank Wilczek
1951 - Present
HPI: 58.75
Rank: 335
Ferenc Krausz
1962 - Present
HPI: 58.74
Rank: 336
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1828, Joseph Swan ranks 19. Before him are Albert Marth, Louise of the Netherlands, Albert of Saxony, John Langdon Down, Edmond François Valentin About, and Paul Gachet. After him are Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia, Alexander Butlerov, Iosif Gurko, Antonio Cánovas del Castillo, Friedrich Albert Lange, and Prince Adalbert of Bavaria. Among people deceased in 1914, Joseph Swan ranks 31. Before him are Alain-Fournier, Empress Shōken, Joseph Chamberlain, Louis Couturat, Princess Adelgunde of Bavaria, and John Tenniel. After him are Anatoly Lyadov, Jurji Zaydan, Christian Morgenstern, Theodor Kittelsen, Theodor Lipps, and Johann Wilhelm Hittorf.
Others Born in 1828
Go to all RankingsAlbert Marth
ASTRONOMER
1828 - 1897
HPI: 63.25
Rank: 13
Louise of the Netherlands
COMPANION
1828 - 1871
HPI: 63.04
Rank: 14
Albert of Saxony
POLITICIAN
1828 - 1902
HPI: 62.20
Rank: 15
John Langdon Down
PHYSICIAN
1828 - 1896
HPI: 61.23
Rank: 16
Edmond François Valentin About
WRITER
1828 - 1885
HPI: 59.98
Rank: 17
Paul Gachet
PHYSICIAN
1828 - 1909
HPI: 59.63
Rank: 18
Joseph Swan
PHYSICIST
1828 - 1914
HPI: 58.85
Rank: 19
Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia
POLITICIAN
1828 - 1885
HPI: 58.66
Rank: 20
Alexander Butlerov
CHEMIST
1828 - 1886
HPI: 58.50
Rank: 21
Iosif Gurko
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1828 - 1901
HPI: 57.34
Rank: 22
Antonio Cánovas del Castillo
POLITICIAN
1828 - 1897
HPI: 57.30
Rank: 23
Friedrich Albert Lange
PHILOSOPHER
1828 - 1875
HPI: 57.16
Rank: 24
Prince Adalbert of Bavaria
POLITICIAN
1828 - 1875
HPI: 56.80
Rank: 25
Others Deceased in 1914
Go to all RankingsAlain-Fournier
WRITER
1886 - 1914
HPI: 60.88
Rank: 25
Empress Shōken
COMPANION
1849 - 1914
HPI: 60.31
Rank: 26
Joseph Chamberlain
POLITICIAN
1836 - 1914
HPI: 59.89
Rank: 27
Louis Couturat
PHILOSOPHER
1868 - 1914
HPI: 59.28
Rank: 28
Princess Adelgunde of Bavaria
POLITICIAN
1823 - 1914
HPI: 59.23
Rank: 29
John Tenniel
PAINTER
1820 - 1914
HPI: 58.88
Rank: 30
Joseph Swan
PHYSICIST
1828 - 1914
HPI: 58.85
Rank: 31
Anatoly Lyadov
COMPOSER
1855 - 1914
HPI: 58.33
Rank: 32
Jurji Zaydan
WRITER
1861 - 1914
HPI: 57.79
Rank: 33
Christian Morgenstern
WRITER
1871 - 1914
HPI: 57.73
Rank: 34
Theodor Kittelsen
PAINTER
1857 - 1914
HPI: 57.67
Rank: 35
Theodor Lipps
PHILOSOPHER
1851 - 1914
HPI: 57.51
Rank: 36
Johann Wilhelm Hittorf
PHYSICIST
1824 - 1914
HPI: 57.32
Rank: 37
In United Kingdom
Among people born in United Kingdom, Joseph Swan ranks 1,094 out of 8,785. Before him are John Tenniel (1820), Don Airey (1948), E. E. Evans-Pritchard (1902), William Henry (1774), Helen McCrory (1968), and Seamus Heaney (1939). After him are Matilda of Scotland (1080), Ian Rush (1961), Henry Walter Bates (1825), James Dunlop (1793), Patrick Macnee (1922), and Brenda Blethyn (1946).
Others born in United Kingdom
Go to all RankingsJohn Tenniel
PAINTER
1820 - 1914
HPI: 58.88
Rank: 1,088
Don Airey
MUSICIAN
1948 - Present
HPI: 58.88
Rank: 1,089
E. E. Evans-Pritchard
ANTHROPOLOGIST
1902 - 1973
HPI: 58.88
Rank: 1,090
William Henry
CHEMIST
1774 - 1836
HPI: 58.88
Rank: 1,091
Helen McCrory
ACTOR
1968 - 2021
HPI: 58.87
Rank: 1,092
Seamus Heaney
WRITER
1939 - 2013
HPI: 58.86
Rank: 1,093
Joseph Swan
PHYSICIST
1828 - 1914
HPI: 58.85
Rank: 1,094
Matilda of Scotland
COMPANION
1080 - 1118
HPI: 58.84
Rank: 1,095
Ian Rush
SOCCER PLAYER
1961 - Present
HPI: 58.83
Rank: 1,096
Henry Walter Bates
BIOLOGIST
1825 - 1892
HPI: 58.82
Rank: 1,097
James Dunlop
ASTRONOMER
1793 - 1848
HPI: 58.82
Rank: 1,098
Patrick Macnee
ACTOR
1922 - 2015
HPI: 58.82
Rank: 1,099
Brenda Blethyn
ACTOR
1946 - Present
HPI: 58.81
Rank: 1,100
Among PHYSICISTS In United Kingdom
Among physicists born in United Kingdom, Joseph Swan ranks 39. Before him are Osborne Reynolds (1842), Anthony James Leggett (1938), Nevill Francis Mott (1905), Freeman Dyson (1923), James Jeans (1877), and William Whewell (1794). After him are John Stewart Bell (1928), William Sturgeon (1783), Stephen Hales (1677), Peter Mansfield (1933), Duncan Haldane (1951), and John Henry Poynting (1852).
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
Freeman Dyson
1923 - 2020
HPI: 60.28
Rank: 36
James Jeans
1877 - 1946
HPI: 59.85
Rank: 37
William Whewell
1794 - 1866
HPI: 59.54
Rank: 38
Joseph Swan
1828 - 1914
HPI: 58.85
Rank: 39
John Stewart Bell
1928 - 1990
HPI: 58.60
Rank: 40
William Sturgeon
1783 - 1850
HPI: 58.26
Rank: 41
Stephen Hales
1677 - 1761
HPI: 58.02
Rank: 42
Peter Mansfield
1933 - 2017
HPI: 56.94
Rank: 43
Duncan Haldane
1951 - Present
HPI: 56.79
Rank: 44
John Henry Poynting
1852 - 1914
HPI: 56.37
Rank: 45