Fizeau, H. (Hippolyte), 1819-1896

Armand Hippolyte Louis Fizeau was born on November 23, 1819, in Paris, France. He received his secondary school education at the Collège Stanislas with the intention of becoming a doctor. Illness forced Fizeau to discontinue classes and upon returning, he studied physics. Fizeau's early work included the improvement of the daguerreotype process. This allowed Fizeau and Léon Foucault to be the first to photograph the disk of the sun. Probably Fizeau's most significant contribution was the calculation of the speed of light using only terrestrial methods. He also calculated the velocity of electricity in wires. Fizeau died on September 18, 1896, in Venteuil, France.

From the description of Armand Hippolyte Louis Fizeau papers, 1870-1879 (inclusive). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 702168980

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