Born Birmingham. Initially worked on improved methods of electroplating. 1856 patented Parkesine, a celluloid recognised as the first man-made plastic (chewing gum, shellac and natural rubber are all classified as plastics).
1866 he set up The Parkesine Company at Hackney Wick intending to manufacture Parkesine cheaply in bulk but this was not successful and closed in 1868. Died London.
This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Alexander Parkes
First plastic in the world, known as 'parkesine', invented by Alexander Parke...
New Zealand physicist who was a pioneering researcher in both atomic and nuclear physics, "the father of nuclear physics" and "the greatest experimentalist since Michael Faraday". Awarded the Nobel...
Born Bradford. Physicist. Professor at King's College London. Nobel Laureate Ionospheric radio, 1924. Died Edinburgh.
Architect, archaeologist, astronomer and rower. Born Lincolnshire. Surveyor to the Fabric of St Paul's Cathedral 1852 - 1899. Died Wimbledon.
Astronomer. born Haggerston, London. Correctly predicted the return of a comet in 1758 but died before the date. Invented the diving bell. Died Greenwich.
Mathematician and pioneer of the modern computer. Probably born in Crosby Row on what is now Walworth Road. Went to school at Freeman's academy in Enfield. He was critical, to the point of rudenes...
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