On what date was Michael Faraday born?

Michael Faraday was born on 22 September 1791. The date is recorded by major scientific and biographical sources and is the standard date used in references to the English chemist and physicist.

Faraday was born in Newington Butts, then in Surrey and now part of south London. His father, James Faraday, was a blacksmith, and the family had limited means. Faraday’s modest formal education did not prevent him from becoming one of the nineteenth century’s most influential experimental scientists.

At fourteen he became an apprentice bookbinder in London. Reading the books that passed through the shop gave him a foundation in chemistry and physics. His notes from lectures by Humphry Davy eventually helped him obtain work at the Royal Institution, where he spent the central decades of his career.

Faraday’s later achievements included electromagnetic induction, the laws of electrolysis, benzene research and early electric motors. He died on 25 August 1867, aged 75. The date is sometimes confused with dates connected to his discoveries or appointments, but 22 September 1791 is his accepted birth date.