The Resume

(January 20, 1775-June 10, 1836)
Born in Lyon, France
One of the founders of classical electromagnetism
Professor of mathematics at the Ecole Polytechnique (1809-28) and of experimental physics at the University of Paris (1824-36)
Showed that two wires carrying currents would attract each other if the currents were flowing in the same direction and would repel each other if the currents flowed in opposite directions
Developed Ampere’s Law: the force exerted between two parallel wires is directly proportional to the current strengths and inversely proportional to the distance between the wires

Why he might be annoying:

His first treatise in mathematics was rejected by the Academy of Lyon.
His second marriage broke up in two years, shortly after the birth of their daughter.
He was appointed a professor despite lacking the required qualifications.
He asked that the epitaph ‘Happy at last’ be inscribed on his tombstone.

Why he might not be annoying:

Except for receiving lessons in Latin, he largely educated himself by reading the books in his family’s well-stocked library.
His father was guillotined during the French Revolution.
He coined the words solenoid and electrodynamics.
He was nicknamed ‘the Newton of electricity.’
The international unit of electric current was named after him.

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• 19th Century Scientists
• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 74]
• I am a Citizen of France
• I Married for Less than Two Years
• I was Home Schooled
• I'm Buried at Montmartre Cemetery in Paris
• Look at Me, My Picture Is Art
• My Name Became a Unit of Measurement
• Profiles 46251-46500 (Ranked: 46370)
• Scientists

Year In Review:

For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2023, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 11 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 13 Votes: 53.85% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 11 Votes: 45.45% Annoying