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Happy Electrifying 250th Birthday to André-Marie Ampère

January 22nd is the birthday of the man who founded the science of electrodynamics: André-Marie Ampère, (Lyon 1775).

Ampère didn't have much in the way of formal schooling, but he was
given free rein of his father's large collection of books. Some say
that Ampère was a math genius from the time he was young, working out
complex mathematical formulas with crumbs of bread. When he was 13, he
wrote and submitted his first mathematical paper, but it was turned
down because he didn't understand the principles of calculus. He
immediately arranged to study calculus with a local monk. He loved it,
and wrote that he was "animated with a new ardor."

Read more at the latter half of this article:
https://www.garrisonkeillor.com/radio/the-writers-almanac-for-wednesday-january-22-2025/#:~:text=Amp%C3%A8re%20was%20not%20the%20most,and%20soon%20had%20a%20son

Posted by
8122 posts

Interesting information - thank you! Mssr. Ampère was a formidable man, and also clearly had his share of personal challenges. So he’s also a year-and-a-half older than the United States of America.

In addition to his name being on the Eiffel Tower, it appears on the exterior of the Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) Post Office in Viêt Nam, along with several others (including Franklin, Volta, and Ohm) who were recognized as significant scientists who helped advance the understanding of electricity. There’s a steel and glass archway inside, which many apparently believe was designed by Mssr. Eiffel, but the architect was actually Alfred Foulhoux. We were there in November, and the post office is a big draw for tourists, some who see the row of former telephone booths along the right-hand wall inside as selfie photo-ops, quaint remnants of the past. Dozens of people were also gathered around tables under a recent mosaic of Ho Chi Minh on the wall, writing on postcards destined to be mailed from there with stamps, presumably another exclusive activity that 20-somethings had never done before, anywhere. Imagine if they could’ve also sent a telegram from that former French Indochina building. Bon anniversaire to Mssr. Ampère!

Posted by
2933 posts

As I often mention there is often a relevant entry in The Writer's Almanac for those of us interested in travel in Europe!