Hendrik Antoon Lorentz

Hendrik Antoon Lorentz (The Netherlands, 1853-1928) combined Newton's mechanical laws and Maxwell's electromagnetic laws to describe the motion of electrons. The results were peculiar, pointing to the need for a radical new theory. Without Lorentz, Einstein said, he would never have been able to discover special relativity.

Drawing by Jan Veth, Image Source: AIP Emilio Segrè Visual Archives.
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