21 Facts About Dionysius Lardner

Dionysius Lardner married Cecilia Flood on 19 December 1815, but they separated in 1820 and were divorced in 1835.

Whilst in Dublin, Dionysius Lardner began to write and lecture on scientific and mathematical matters, and to contribute articles for publication by the Irish Academy.

In 1828, Dionysius Lardner was elected professor of natural philosophy and astronomy at University College, London, a position he held until he resigned his professorship in 1831.

Dionysius Lardner showed himself to be a successful populariser of science, giving talks on contemporary topics such as Babbage's Difference Engine.

Dionysius Lardner was the author of numerous mathematical and physical treatises on such subjects as algebraic geometry, the differential and integral calculus, and the steam engine.

In 1840 Dionysius Lardner's career received a major setback as a result of his involvement with Mary Spicer Heaviside, the wife of Captain Richard Heaviside, of the Dragoon Guards.

Dionysius Lardner had previously been married to Cecilia Flood from 1815 to their separation in 1820.

Dionysius Lardner ran off to Paris with Mrs Heaviside, pursued by her husband.

The Heavisides were divorced in 1845, and in 1846 Dionysius Lardner was able to marry Mary Heaviside.

Dionysius Lardner died in Naples, Italy, and is buried in the Cimitero degli Inglesi there.

Dionysius Lardner became involved in a number of ill-advised public disagreements with Isambard Kingdom Brunel regarding technical matters, in which he came off the worse.

Again, Brunel was able to show that Dionysius Lardner's calculations were too simplistic.

The principle that Brunel understood, which Dionysius Lardner did not, was that the carrying capacity of a ship increases as the cube of its dimensions, whilst the water resistance only increases as the square of its dimensions.

In 1838 while Brunel was building the broad-gauge Great Western Railway, Dionysius Lardner carried out some experiments with the company's flagship locomotive, North Star.

Dionysius Lardner attributed this to the greater wind resistance of broad-gauge engines.

Dionysius Lardner is mentioned in Karl Marx's Das Kapital and was well respected as an economist.

Dionysius Lardner was involved in the founding of the University of London and was the first person to hold the post of Professor of Natural Philosophy and Astronomy there.

Dionysius Lardner was influential in publicising Charles Babbage's Difference Engine.

Whilst lecturing in America Dionysius Lardner was paid by Norris Brothers, the largest firm of locomotive builders, to investigate a fatal accident in Reading, near Philadelphia, where a boiler had exploded on a newly made train.

Dionysius Lardner pronounced that the accident had been caused by lightning, which meant that Norris Brothers were not personally liable for the accident.

The Coroner's inquest jury were persuaded by Dionysius Lardner that the accident was an 'act of God' but the company were careful to design their later locomotives with wrought-iron bands.