Thomson, his discovery of the electron and the twentieth century science and technology

Sir J. J. Thomson was the first to discover a subatomic particle i. e. electron. Due to this discovery he is remembered in the history as The Atom Smasher. He was a great experimentalists and a devoted physicist. He himself, his son and his seven pupils earned Noble prizes on the basis of their scientific discoveries. The discovery of electron by Sir Thomson in 1897, at Cavendish Laboratory, has rewritten the entire physical science. Although electron has wide spread applications in almost every field, yet its exact nature is not fully known. This article briefly describes the life of Sir Thomson, his achievements and the impact of his discovery of electron on the twentieth century science and technology. (author)