Sir Joseph Larmor was a distinguished physicist whose innovative work helped prepare the way for 'Einstein’s Theory of Relativity'. Born in Magheragall, Co.Antrim, on 11th July 1857, Larmor attended the Royal Belfast Academical Institution and Queen’s College before furthering his studies at St John’s College, Cambridge, attaining a first and the award of Smith’s Prizeman.

Larmor was appointed Professor of Natural Philosophy at Queen’s College, Galway in 1880. He returned to St John’s College in 1885 as a lecturer in Mathematics. In 1903, he was appointed to the distinguished position of Lucasian Professor of Mathematics in Cambridge. He wrote a number of papers published in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, on the subject of ‘A Dynamical Theory of the Electric and Lumeniferous Medium’. This was later revised and put into book form in 1900 under the title Aether and Matter.This was Larmor’s main achievement. He was the first person to provide a formula for the radiation of energy from an accelerated electron. Larmor also researched the effect of a magnetic field on the spectrum.

Larmor was knighted in 1909. He was awarded the Royal Medal and Copley Medal in 1921. Larmor was also Unionist MP for Cambridge University between 1911 and 1922. He was granted the Freedom of the City of Belfast and had numerous honorary degrees bestowed upon him.

Larmor returned to Northern Ireland when he retired. Unmarried, he died in Holywood, Co. Down, on 19th May 1942.

From the Appletree Press title: Celebrated Citizens of Belfast by John Bradbury.