Rayleigh, originally John William Strutt, was born on November 13, 1842, in Cambridge, England. He was an eminent British physicist who made significant contributions to the fields of optics and hydrodynamics.
Rayleigh's work is renowned for its breadth and precision. He is best known for his discovery of the phenomenon of Rayleigh scattering, which occurs when light passes through a medium with particles smaller than the wavelength of light. This scattering is responsible for the blue appearance of the sky and the red hues at sunset.
One of his most notable achievements was the determination of the density of the Earth using a method based on the principle of buoyancy. He also made significant contributions to the study of sound waves, hydrodynamics, and optics, including the development of interference methods for measuring wavelengths with great precision.
Rayleigh was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1904 "for his investigations on the density of the Earth's atmosphere, especially at high altitudes." He was also a fellow of the Royal Society and served as its president from 1905 to 1908. His work continues to influence modern physics, particularly in the areas of optics and acoustics.
Rayleigh died on June 26, 1919, leaving behind a legacy of scientific excellence and a name forever associated with some of the most fundamental principles of light and sound.
"From 2016 to 2023, there were a total of 65 babies named Rayleigh born annually, with the highest number in 2022 and the lowest in 2016 and 2018."