William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, OM, GCVO, PC, PRS, FRSE, (26 June 1824 - 17 December 1907) was an Irish mathematical physicist, engineer, and outstanding leader in the physical sciences of the 19th century. At Glasgow University he did important work in the mathematical analysis of electricity and thermodynamics, and did much to unify the emerging discipline of physics in its modern form. He is widely known for developing the Kelvin scale of absolute temperature measurement. The title Baron Kelvin was given in honour of his achievements, and named after the River Kelvin, which flowed past his university in Glasgow, Scotland. He also had a second career as a telegraph engineer and inventor, a career that propelled him into the public eye and ensured his wealth, fame and honor.
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