Jean Baptiste Biot ( 1774 - 1862 )

Birth: Paris, France (21 April 1774) Death: Paris, France (03 February 1862) Research Field: Physics Career: Served in the Artillery; Professor of Mathematics, Beauvais (1797); Professor of Physics, College de France (1800); accompanied J L Gay Lussac (FRS 1815) on the first balloon ascent made for scientific purposes; involved with F J D Arago (FRS 1818) in measuring an arc of the meridien in Spain (1806); visited England and the Shetland Islands, to make measurements along the line of the British arc of the meridien (1817); made important observations on the polarisation of light Memberships: Academie des Sciences Membership: Foreign Member Election Date: 6/04/1815 Medals/Prizes: Rumford Medal 1840.