Royal Institution facts for kids

For other uses, see Royal Institution (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids
Royal Institution
The Royal Institution building on Albemarle Street, London, c. 1838
Established	1799 (1799)

The Royal Institution of Great Britain (often called the Royal Institution or Ri) is a famous place for science education and research. It's located in London, England. It was started in 1799 by important British scientists like Henry Cavendish. Its first president was George Finch.

The main goal of the Royal Institution was to share scientific knowledge. They wanted to help people use new inventions. They also aimed to show how science could improve everyday life. This was done through teaching, lectures, and experiments.

A painting from 1904 showing a science talk at the Royal Institution.

Much of the early money for the Royal Institution came from a group called the Society for Bettering the Conditions and Improving the Comforts of the Poor. Key people involved were Sir Thomas Bernard and scientist Sir Benjamin Thompson, also known as Count Rumford. Since it began, the Royal Institution has been at 21 Albemarle Street in Mayfair, London. It received its official approval, called a Royal Charter, in 1800.

History of the Royal Institution
The Royal Institution Today
Faraday Museum
See also

History of the Royal Institution

The idea for the Royal Institution came from Sir Benjamin Thompson (Count Rumford). He wanted to create a public place in London. This place would share knowledge about useful inventions. It would also teach people how to use science in their daily lives. This would happen through lectures and experiments.

Rumford's idea led to a meeting in March 1799. It was held at the home of Joseph Banks, who was then president of the Royal Society. Soon after, the first leaders of the Institution met. In June of that year, George Finch, 9th Earl of Winchilsea became its first president. In July, they bought the building at 21 Albemarle Street. This building has been their home ever since. They immediately started fixing up the building. They wanted to create good spaces for meetings, offices, and science labs.

The first professor and lecturer was Dr Thomas Garnett. He joined the Royal Institution in October 1799.

The main lecture hall is very famous. It has steep seats and is known for the Christmas lectures. This hall was finished in 1800. In the same year, King George III gave the Institution its Royal Charter. The lecture hall was used right away. Dr. Garnett gave the first lecture there in March 1800.

Michael Faraday giving a Christmas Lecture in 1856.

The Royal Institution has always helped people learn about science. They do this through many lectures. The most famous are the annual Royal Institution Christmas Lectures. These were started by Michael Faraday in 1825.

Dr. Garnett's first lectures were very popular. However, he later resigned. Humphry Davy became his assistant and was very successful. Davy's assistant and later successor, Michael Faraday, was even more famous.

The Royal Institution has played a big part in science. Many important scientists have worked there. These include Sir Humphry Davy, Michael Faraday, and James Dewar. Also, Sir William Henry Bragg and Sir William Lawrence Bragg worked there. They won a Nobel Prize for Physics for their work on x-ray diffraction.

In the 1800s, Michael Faraday did much of his research at the Royal Institution. His work helped us understand how to use electricity. In total, fifteen scientists linked to the Royal Institution have won Nobel Prizes. Ten chemical elements were discovered there. The electric generator was also invented there. A lot of early work on the atomic structure of crystals happened there too.

The Royal Institution was founded during a time when slavery was still happening. One of its big supporters was John Fuller. His money came from plantations in Jamaica. Fuller gave a lot of money to the Institution. He even paid for two special professorships. Michael Faraday was the first person to hold one of these, the Fullerian Professor of Chemistry. Today, the Royal Institution no longer uses the Fullerian title. The two special positions are no longer filled.

Nobel Prize Winners

John William Strutt (Lord Rayleigh) (1842–1919): Physics 1904, for discovering argon.
Joseph John Thomson (1856–1940): Physics 1906, for studying how electricity moves through gases.
Ernest Rutherford (1871–1937): Chemistry 1908, for his work on radioactive substances.
William Lawrence Bragg (1890–1971): Physics 1915, for finding the structure of crystals using X-rays.
William Henry Bragg (1862–1942): Physics 1915, for finding the structure of crystals using X-rays.
Charles Scott Sherrington (1857–1952): Medicine 1932, for discovering how neurons (nerve cells) work.
Henry Hallett Dale (1875–1968): Medicine 1936, for his work on how nerve signals are sent.
Peter Brian Medawar (1915–1987): Medicine 1960, for his work on making skin grafts permanent.
John Cowdery Kendrew (1917–1997): Chemistry 1962, for finding the structures of hemoglobin and myoglobin.
Max Ferdinand Perutz (1914–2002): Chemistry 1962, for finding the structures of hemoglobin and myoglobin.
Andrew Fielding Huxley (1917–2012): Medicine 1963, for explaining how nerves use electricity to send signals.
Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin (1910–1994): Chemistry 1964, for finding the structure of important chemicals like vitamin B12.
George Porter (1920–2002): Chemistry 1967, for studying chemical reactions caused by light.
Antony Hewish (1924–2021): Physics 1974, for discovering pulsars (special stars).
Sir John Gurdon (1933–): Medicine 2012, for discovering that mature cells can become stem cells.

Chemical Elements Discovered or Isolated

Potassium – Discovered by Humphry Davy in 1807 using electricity.
Sodium – Humphry Davy first found sodium in 1807 from melted sodium hydroxide.
Barium – Discovered by Humphry Davy in 1808 using electricity.
Boron – Humphry Davy discovered it in 1808. Pure boron was made later.
Calcium – Discovered by Humphry Davy in 1808 using electricity.
Chlorine – Discovered in 1774, but Humphry Davy named it chlorine in 1810 and showed it was an element.
Magnesium – First made and discovered in 1808 by Humphry Davy using electricity.
Strontium – Humphry Davy isolated it as an element in 1808.
Iodine – Discovered by Bernard Courtois in 1811. Humphry Davy also worked on it.
Argon – Discovered in 1894 by Lord Rayleigh and William Ramsay.

Past Presidents of the Royal Institution

Since 1799, the Royal Institution has had many presidents:

1799 – George Finch, 9th Earl of Winchilsea
1813 – George John Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer
1825 – Thomas Pelham, 2nd Earl of Chichester
1827 – Edward Adolphus Seymour, 11th Duke of Somerset
1842 – Algernon Percy, 4th Duke of Northumberland
1865 – Sir Henry Holland, 1st Baronet
1873 – Algernon George Percy, 6th Duke of Northumberland
1899 – Henry George Percy, 7th Duke of Northumberland
1918 – Alan Ian Percy, 8th Duke of Northumberland
1930 – Lord Eustace Percy
1945 – Robert John Strutt, 4th Baron Rayleigh
1948 – John Theodore Cuthbert Moore-Brabazon, 1st Baron Brabazon of Tara
1963 – Alexander Fleck, 1st Baron Fleck
1968 – William Wellclose Davis (acting)
1969 – Harold Roxbee Cox, Baron Kings Norton
1976 – Prince Edward, Duke of Kent

Past Directors

The leader of the Royal Institution has had different titles over time. These include Director of the Laboratory and Director of the Davy-Faraday Research Laboratory.

The position of Director was removed in 2010. It was brought back in April 2017 with Sarah Harper. She resigned in September 2017. The current director is Katherine Matheson.

In 2010, the Royal Institution faced some financial challenges. This was after a big building project. The project cost a lot of money.

The Royal Institution Today

The outside of the Royal Institution building in 2011.

Today, the Royal Institution still aims to share science with everyone. Anyone can become a member. You don't need special academic qualifications.

Important people at the Institution include:

President: The Duke of Kent
Chairman: Sir Richard Catlow
Director: Katherine Mathieson

In 2018, the Institution announced a new five-year plan. They want to grow and do more research. They also plan to start a new national science club. They will also hold public discussions about science and policy. A new Research Centre for Science and Culture will study how science and culture are connected.

The Institution's building is very grand. It has been made bigger and updated since 1799. It is a very important historic building. The last big update was in 2008. It cost £22 million. The goal was to create a "science salon" for the public. Besides the famous Lecture Theatre, the building has many event rooms. It also has modern research labs and a public café. In 2013, the Institution received a large donation. By 2016, it was free of debt.

The Royal Institution Lecture Theatre. This is where Michael Faraday first showed electromagnetism.

The Royal Institution (Ri) has many public science programs. They also have programs for schools. They hold over one hundred events each year. These cover many different science topics. The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures are still held today. They are a series of three televised lectures for children. The Friday Evening Discourses are monthly lectures. Famous scientists give these talks. Each talk is exactly one hour long, a tradition started by Faraday. Members can enter a lottery for Christmas Lecture tickets. Other events are open to everyone. Members and Patrons get discounts or free tickets. Many events are held at Albemarle Street and other places.

Scientific research still happens at the Davy-Faraday Research Laboratory (DFRL). This lab is known for its work in nano-science.

In May 2015, the Royal Institution hosted the launch of the Santara Computer. This computer was created by Dr. Andrew Deonarine.

In November 2015, they started a new membership plan. The old "Fellows" title was removed. New categories include Member, Under 26, and Ri Young Member. Adult Members can vote. They can also use "MRi" after their names. A Patrons' scheme was also introduced.

In December 2011, the Royal Institution launched the Ri Channel. This website showed science videos and old content. This included past Christmas Lectures. The Ri Channel was later closed in 2017. Now, most Ri videos are on YouTube. Past Christmas Lectures are on the Ri's website.

The Royal Institution building is also used for other things. It hosts conferences, weddings, and events. This helps pay its bills. In 2015, they sold some old manuscripts to raise money. Since 2021, researchers from the London Institute for Mathematical Sciences have rented rooms there. They work on theoretical physics and mathematics. These rooms were once Michael Faraday's living quarters.

Faraday Museum

Royal Institution. Faraday Museum. Faraday's original 1850s laboratory.

In 1973, the Royal Institution opened the Faraday Museum. This museum is about Michael Faraday. It is in the main building on Albemarle Street. It is open to the public on weekdays. The best part of the museum is Faraday's actual laboratory from the 1850s. It is not a copy. Across from this lab is a modern nanotechnology lab. Other exhibits show the discoveries and people of the Royal Institution.