NationMaster - Encyclopedia: John Ambrose Fleming

Sir John Ambrose Fleming (November 29, 1849 - April 18, 1945) was an English electrical engineer and physicist. He was born on November 29, 1849, the eldest of seven children of James Fleming DD (d. 1879), a Congregational minister, and his wife, Mary Ann, at Lancaster, Lancashire and baptised on February 11, 1850. He was a devout Christian and preached on one occasion at St Martin-in-the-Fields in London on the topic of evidence for the resurrection. In 1932, along with Douglas Dewar and Bernard Acworth, he helped establish the Evolution Protest Movement. Having no children, he bequeathed much of his estate to Christian charities, especially those that helped the poor. He was an accomplished photographer and, in addition, he painted watercolours and enjoyed climbing in the Alps. If you hold the copyright to an image (e. ... is the 333rd day of the year (334th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1849 (MDCCCXLIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... A view of Lancaster showing the Lune, the Millennium Bridge and the Ashton Memorial Lancaster (2001 census population 45,952: source ONS) is a city in Lancashire, in the north-west of England, UK. It is a commercial, cultural and educational centre. ... Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... is the 108th day of the year (109th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... Location within the British Isles Sidmouth Arms of Sidmouth Town Council Sidmouth is a small town of 14,400 on the east Devon coast in south west England about 15 miles south east of Exeter. ... Part of the seafront of Torquay, south Devon, at high tide Devon is a large county in South West England, bordered by Cornwall to the west, and Dorset and Somerset to the east. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... An engineers degree is an academic degree which is intermediate in rank between a masters degree and a doctorate; it is occasionally to be encountered in the United States in technical fields. ... Not to be confused with physician, a person who practices medicine. ... The Front Quad University College London, commonly known as UCL, is one of the colleges that make up the University of London. ... The University of Nottingham is a leading research and teaching university in the city of Nottingham, in the East Midlands of England. ... The University of Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world, with one of the most selective sets of entry requirements in the United Kingdom. ... â€œGEâ€ redirects here. ... The Front Quad University College London, commonly known as UCL, is one of the colleges that make up the University of London. ... Royal School of Mines Entrance Imperial College London is a college of the University of London which focuses on science and technology, and is located in South Kensington in London. ... Frederick Guthrie was a scientific writer and professor in London who lived from 1833 to 1886. ... Harold Everard Monteagle Barlow FRS (15 November 1899 - 20 April 1989) was a British engineer. ... Flemings left hand rule (for motors) shows the direction of the thrust on a conductor carrying a current in a magnetic field. ... Flemings right hand rule (for generators) shows the direction of induced current flow when a conductor moves in a magnetic field. ... In electronics, a vacuum tube (American English) or (thermionic) valve (British English) is a device generally used to amplify a signal. ... The Hughes Medal, named after microphone inventor David Edward Hughes, is one of several medals awarded by the Royal Society, Englands reigning academy of science. ... The IEEE Medal of Honor is the highest recognition of the IEEE, and has been awarded once each year since 1917, when its first recipient was Major Edwin H. Armstrong. ... Congregationalist polity, often known as congregationalism, is a system of church governance in which every local congregation is independent. ... is the 333rd day of the year (334th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1849 (MDCCCXLIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 108th day of the year (109th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... An engineers degree is an academic degree which is intermediate in rank between a masters degree and a doctorate; it is occasionally to be encountered in the United States in technical fields. ... Not to be confused with physician, a person who practices medicine. ... is the 333rd day of the year (334th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1849 (MDCCCXLIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Congregationalist polity, often known as congregationalism, is a system of church governance in which every local congregation is independent. ... A view of Lancaster showing the Lune, the Millennium Bridge and the Ashton Memorial Lancaster (2001 census population 45,952: source ONS) is a city in Lancashire, in the north-west of England, UK. It is a commercial, cultural and educational centre. ... Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the game, see: 1850 (board game) 1850 (MDCCCL) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday [1] of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... St Martin-in-the-Fields, London Interior of St Martin-in-the-Fields St Martin-in-the-Fields and Charing Cross, circa 1562 The ceiling of the cafÃ© in the crypt St. ... Look up Resurrection in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Douglas Dewar (1875â€“1957) was a barrister, British civil servant in India and an ornithologist. ... Captain Bernard Acworth (1885-1963) was an English submariner, writer, evangelical Christian and creationist. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Early years

Ambrose Fleming was born in Lancaster and educated at University College School, London, and University College London. He became a Lecturer at several universities including the University of Cambridge, the University of Nottingham, and University College London, where he was the first professor of Electrical Engineering. He was also consultant to the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company, Swan Company, Ferranti, Edison Telephone, and later the Edison Electric Light Company. In 1892, Fleming presented an important paper on electrical transformer theory to the Institution of Electrical Engineers in London. A view of Lancaster showing the Lune, the Millennium Bridge and the Ashton Memorial Lancaster (2001 census population 45,952: source ONS) is a city in Lancashire, in the north-west of England, UK. It is a commercial, cultural and educational centre. ... University College School, known generally as UCS, is a British Independent school situated in Hampstead, north west London. ... Affiliations University of London Russell Group LERU EUA ACU Golden Triangle G5 Website http://www. ... The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University), located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world and has a reputation as one of the worlds most prestigious universities. ... The University of Nottingham is a leading research and teaching university in the city of Nottingham, in the East Midlands of England. ... Affiliations University of London Russell Group LERU EUA ACU Golden Triangle G5 Website http://www. ... The Marconi Company Ltd. ... Ferranti or Ferranti International plc by the time of its collapse, was a major UK electrical engineering and equipment firm, known primarily for defence electronics and power grid systems. ... The General Electric Company, or GE, NYSE: GE is a multinational technology and services company. ... Year 1892 (MDCCCXCII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see Transformer (disambiguation). ... Not to be confused with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE, I-triple-E). ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

Education and marriages

Fleming started school at about the age of ten, attending a private school where he particularly enjoyed geometry. Prior to that his mother tutored him and he had learned, virtually by heart, a book called the Child's Guide to Knowledge, a popular book of the day - even as an adult he would quote from it. His schooling continued at the University College School where, although accomplished at maths, he habitually came bottom of the class at Latin. University College School, known generally as UCS, is a British Independent school situated in Hampstead, north west London. ...

Even as a boy he wanted to become an engineer. At 11 he had his own workshop where he built model boats and engines. He even built his own camera, the start of a lifelong interest in photography. Training to become an engineer was beyond the family's financial resources, but he reached his goal via a path that alternated education with work.

He enrolled for a BSc degree at University College, London, graduated in 1870, and studied under the mathematician Augustus de Morgan and the physicist G. Carey Foster. He became a student of chemistry at the Royal College of Science in South Kensington in London (now Imperial College). There he first studied the voltaic battery, which became the subject of his first scientific paper. This was the first paper to be read to the new Physical Society of London (now the Institute of Physics) and appears on page one of volume one of their Proceedings. Financial problems again forced him to work for his living and in the summer of 1874 he became science master at Cheltenham College, a public school, earning £400 per year. (He later also taught at Rossall School.) His own scientific research continued and he corresponded with James Clerk Maxwell at Cambridge University. After saving £400, and securing a grant of £50 a year, in October 1877 at the age of 27, he once again enrolled as a student, this time at Cambridge. Maxwell's lectures, he admitted, were difficult to follow. Maxwell, he said, often appeared obscure and had 'a paradoxical and allusive way of speaking'. On occasions Fleming was the only student at those lectures. Fleming again graduated, this time with a First Class Honours degree in chemistry and physics. He then obtained a DSc from London and served one year at Cambridge University as a demonstrator of mechanical engineering before being appointed as the first Professor of Physics and Mathematics at the University of Nottingham. But after less than a year he left. The Front Quad University College London, commonly known as UCL, is one of the colleges that make up the University of London. ... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... Royal School of Mines Entrance Imperial College London is a college of the University of London which focuses on science and technology, and is located in South Kensington in London. ... The Physical Society of London, England, existed from 1874 to 1921. ... The Institute of Physics (IOP) is Britain and Irelands main professional body for physicists. ... Cheltenham College is a famous English coeducational independent school in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Rossall School is a British, co-educational, independent, day and boarding school in between Cleveleys and Fleetwood, Lancashire. ... James Clerk Maxwell (13 June 1831 â€“ 5 November 1879) was a Scottish mathematician and theoretical physicist from Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. His most significant achievement was aggregating a set of equations in electricity, magnetism and inductance â€” eponymously named Maxwells equations â€” including an important modification (extension) of the AmpÃ¨res... The University of Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world, with one of the most selective sets of entry requirements in the United Kingdom. ... The University of Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world, with one of the most selective sets of entry requirements in the United Kingdom. ... The University of Nottingham is a leading research and teaching university in the city of Nottingham, in the East Midlands of England. ...

On 11 June 1887 he married Clara Ripley (1856/7–1917), daughter of Walter Freake Pratt, a solicitor from Bath. On 27 July 1928 he married the popular young singer Olive May Franks (b. 1898/9), of Bristol, daughter of George Franks, a Cardiff businessman. For alternate meanings see Bath (disambiguation) Palladian Pulteney Bridge and the weir at Bath Bath is a city in south-west England, most famous for its baths fed by three hot springs. ... This article is about the English city. ... This article is about the capital city of Wales. ...

Activities and achievements

In November 1904, he invented and patented the two-electrode vacuum-tube rectifier, which he called the oscillation valve. It was also called a thermionic valve, vacuum diode, kenotron, thermionic tube, or Fleming valve. The Supreme Court later invalidated the patent because of an improper disclaimer and, additionally, maintained the technology in the patent was known art when filed.^[1] This invention is often considered to have been the beginning of electronics, for this was the first vacuum tube.^{[citation needed]} Fleming's diode was used in radio receivers and radars for many decades afterwards, until solid-state electronic technology took over more than 50 years later. 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (see link for calendar). ... In electronics, a vacuum tube (American English) or (thermionic) valve (British English) is a device generally used to amplify a signal. ... Closeup of the image below, showing the square shaped semiconductor crystal various semiconductor diodes, below a bridge rectifier Structure of a vacuum tube diode In electronics, a diode is a two-terminal component, almost always one that has electrical properties which vary depending on the direction of flow of charge... This article is about the engineering discipline. ... Structure of a vacuum tube diode Structure of a vacuum tube triode In electronics, a vacuum tube, electron tube, or (outside North America) thermionic valve or just valve, is a device used to amplify, switch or modify a signal by controlling the movement of electrons in an evacuated space. ... Closeup of the image below, showing the square shaped semiconductor crystal various semiconductor diodes, below a bridge rectifier Structure of a vacuum tube diode In electronics, a diode is a two-terminal component, almost always one that has electrical properties which vary depending on the direction of flow of charge... M*A*S*H, see Corporal Walter (Radar) OReilly. ...

In 1906, Lee De Forest of the U.S. added a control "grid" to the valve to create a vacuum tube RF detector called the Audion, leading Fleming to accuse him of copying his ideas. De Forest's device was shortly refined by him and Edwin H. Armstrong into an amplifier tube called the triode. The triode was vital in the creation of long-distance telephone and radio communications, radars, and early electronic digital computers (mechanical and electro-mechanical digital computers already existed using different technology). Fleming also contributed in the fields of photometry, electronics, wireless telegraphy (radio), and electrical measurements. He was knighted in 1929, and he died at his home in Sidmouth, Devon in 1945. His contributions to electronic communications and radar were of vital importance in winning World War II. Fleming was awarded the IRE Medal of Honor in 1933 for "the conspicuous part he played in introducing physical and engineering principles into the radio art." 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Lee De Forest, (August 26, 1873 â€“ June 30, 1961) was an American inventor with over 300 patents to his credit. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic - President George Walker Bush (R) - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... Structure of a vacuum tube diode Structure of a vacuum tube triode In electronics, a vacuum tube, electron tube, or (outside North America) thermionic valve or just valve, is a device used to amplify, switch or modify a signal by controlling the movement of electrons in an evacuated space. ... Edwin Howard Armstrong Edwin Howard Armstrong (December 18, 1890 - March 31, 1954) was an American electrical engineer and inventor. ... Simplified diagram of a triode. ... Photopic (black) and scotopic [1] (green) luminosity functions. ... This article is about the engineering discipline. ... Wireless telegraphy is the practice of remote writing (see telegraphy) without the wires normally involved in an electrical telegraph. ... The British honours system is a means of rewarding individuals personal bravery, achievement or service to the United Kingdom. ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Location within the British Isles Sidmouth Arms of Sidmouth Town Council Sidmouth is a small town of 14,400 on the east Devon coast in south west England about 15 miles south east of Exeter. ... Part of the seafront of Torquay, south Devon, at high tide Devon is a large county in South West England, bordered by Cornwall to the west, and Dorset and Somerset to the east. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The IEEE Medal of Honor is the highest recognition of the IEEE, and has been awarded once each year since 1917, when its first recipient was Major Edwin H. Armstrong. ...

Note from Eulogy at Centenary celebration of the invention of the thermionic valve: In electronics, a vacuum tube (American English) or (thermionic) valve (British English) is a device generally used to amplify a signal. ...

Books by Fleming

References

External articles

Categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since May 2007 | English engineers | English physicists | Electrical engineers | Academics of University College London | Academics of the University of Nottingham | Alumni of University College London | IEEE Medal of Honor recipients | People from Lancaster | 1849 births | 1945 deaths | Old Gowers Arthur Edwin Kennelly (December 17, 1861 - June 18, 1939), was an American engineer in electricity. ... The IEEE Medal of Honor is the highest recognition of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). ... Rear Admiral Stanford Caldwell Hooper (August 16, 1884 - April 6, 1955) was a noted American radio pioneer who has been called the Father of Naval Radio. Hooper was born in Colton, California, and educated in the San Bernardino public schools. ... An engineers degree is an academic degree which is intermediate in rank between a masters degree and a doctorate; it is occasionally to be encountered in the United States in technical fields. ... Not to be confused with physician, a person who practices medicine. ... is the 333rd day of the year (334th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1849 (MDCCCXLIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... A view of Lancaster showing the Lune, the Millennium Bridge and the Ashton Memorial Lancaster (2001 census population 45,952: source ONS) is a city in Lancashire, in the north-west of England, UK. It is a commercial, cultural and educational centre. ... Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... is the 108th day of the year (109th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... Location within the British Isles Sidmouth Arms of Sidmouth Town Council Sidmouth is a small town of 14,400 on the east Devon coast in south west England about 15 miles south east of Exeter. ... Part of the seafront of Torquay, south Devon, at high tide Devon is a large county in South West England, bordered by Cornwall to the west, and Dorset and Somerset to the east. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ...

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