David Tabor facts for kids

David Tabor was a brilliant British scientist who lived from 1913 to 2005. He was a physicist, which means he studied how the world works at a basic level.

David Tabor was one of the first people to really dig deep into a field called tribology. This is the study of how surfaces rub against each other, like when you slide a book across a table. He also wrote a very important textbook called "Gases, Liquids and Solids."

Who Was David Tabor?

David Tabor was born David Tabrisky in London, England, on October 23, 1913. He was the sixth of seven children. His parents were Russian Jewish immigrants who had moved to the United Kingdom.

His father was a skilled metalworker and gunsmith. The family changed their last name to "Tabor" in the early 1920s.

David's Early School Days

David went to primary school at Portobello Road. He then attended Regent Street Polytechnic Secondary School. He was very smart and won a scholarship to study at Imperial College London.

After that, he went to University of Cambridge to do more research. He studied in the Department of Chemistry there.

David Tabor's Career in Science

David Tabor became a very important professor at the University of Cambridge. In 1957, he was chosen to be a Fellow at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. This is a special honor.

In 1964, he became a "Reader" in Physics at the university. This is a high academic position. From 1969 to 1981, he led the Physics and Chemistry of Solids section at the famous Cavendish Laboratory.

Becoming a Professor

In 1973, David Tabor was promoted to a full Professor of Physics. When he retired in 1981, he was named "Professor Emeritus." This means he kept his title as a respected professor even after retiring.

Much of David Tabor's work on tribology was done with another scientist named Frank Philip Bowden. Together, they wrote a very popular book called "The Friction and Lubrication of Solids." This book helped many students and scientists understand how surfaces interact.

Awards and Recognition

David Tabor received many important awards for his amazing work in science.

• In 1963, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is one of the highest honors for a scientist in the UK.
• He received the International Award from the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers in 1965.
• In 1968, he was given the A. A. Griffith Medal and Prize.
• He was the very first person to receive the Tribology Gold Medal in 1972. This award is given by the Tribology Trust.
• In 1974, he received the Mayo D. Hersey award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
• He also won the Guthrie Medal in 1975.
• One of his highest honors was the Royal Medal from the Royal Society in 1992.

The David Tabor Medal and Prize from the Institute of Physics was named after him. This shows how important his contributions were to the world of physics and tribology.

David Tabor's Family Life

In 1943, David Tabor married Hanna Stillschweig. They had two sons together. Hanna and their sons survived him when he passed away in 2005.