Place Name
William Thomson (June 26, 1824 – December 17, 1907) 1st Baron Kelvin, was a mathematical physicist and engineer. He was knighted in 1866 by Queen Victoria for his work on the transatlantic telegraph project and later improvements to the mariner’s compass. He is probably best known today for having absolute temperatures named after him, having worked out the exact value of absolute zero as approximately −273.15 degree Celsius or −459.67 degree Fahrenheit. He was the first British scientist to be elevated to the House of Lords. The title refers to the River Kelvin, which flows near his laboratory at the University of Glasgow. He also helped introduce accurate methods and apparatus for measuring electricity. This is one of a cluster of streets named after famous figures in the field of science and known as the Scientists’ Estate. Others include Cavendish Avenue, Darwin Road, Faraday Road, Huxley Road, Maxwell Road, Newton Road, Tyndall Road.
