JJ Thomson
LIFE Joseph John Thomson was born on December 18, 1856 in Cheetham Hill a suburb of Manchester England. Thomson’s father was a bookseller and a publisher. Thomson’s initial interest was engineering and was sent to college at Owens College at the age of 14 until an engineering apprenticeship opened. When the apprenticeship opened Thomson’s engineering career seemed as if it was going to be great but after just two years of apprenticeship JJ’s father passed away and his mother could not afford the fees to support his apprenticeship. Thomson also attended Trinity College at the University of Cambridge on a scholarship where Thomson would stay the rest of his life.