14 moments

1. Birth at India Street

   1831-06-13 · 14 India Street, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom

   

   Maxwell was born at the Edinburgh New Town house that is now associated with the James Clerk Maxwell Foundation.

2. Family move to Glenlair

   1833-01-01 · Glenlair House, Parton, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, United Kingdom

   

   As a young child, Maxwell moved with his family to the Glenlair estate in Kirkcudbrightshire, the country home that remained central to his life. The source describes the family move; the coordinate is for Glenlair House, whose ruins mark the documented estate home.

3. Edinburgh Academy enrolment

   1841-01-01 · Edinburgh Academy, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom

   

   Maxwell began formal education at Edinburgh Academy, returning from rural Galloway to Edinburgh for school terms.

4. University of Edinburgh studies

   1847-01-01 · University of Edinburgh, Old College, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom

   

   After leaving Edinburgh Academy, Maxwell attended University of Edinburgh classes and pursued private scientific investigations alongside them. Old College is used as the representative historic university site.

5. Transfer to Trinity College

   1850-01-01 · Trinity College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England, United Kingdom

   

   Maxwell left Scotland for Cambridge, initially attending Peterhouse before transferring to Trinity College during his first term. The source supports entry to Cambridge in October and transfer to Trinity before the end of the first term; it does not give the transfer month.

6. Colour lecture to the Royal Society of Edinburgh

   1855-03-01 · Royal Society of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom

   

   Maxwell personally presented his paper on colour perception and colour-blindness to the Royal Society of Edinburgh. The source identifies the society and city but not the precise 1855 meeting venue; coordinates are a representative central Edinburgh point.

7. Inherited Glenlair estate

   1856-01-01 · Glenlair House, Parton, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, United Kingdom

   

   Following his father's death, Maxwell inherited Glenlair and spent substantial time there outside the Aberdeen academic term.

8. Lodgings and teaching in Aberdeen

   1856-01-01 · 129 Union Street, Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom

   

   Maxwell began his Marischal College period in Aberdeen, taking lodgings on Union Street while serving as Professor of Natural Philosophy. The source identifies the address but does not provide coordinates; coordinates are an approximate point for the numbered Union Street location.

9. Marriage to Katherine Mary Dewar

   1858-06-02 · Old Machar, Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom

   

   Maxwell married Katherine Mary Dewar in Aberdeen while he was Professor of Natural Philosophy at Marischal College. The cited biography names Aberdeen rather than the exact church; Old Machar is used because an institutional chronology identifies the marriage location as Old Machar.

10. Move to London and King's College

    1860-01-01 · King's College London, Strand Campus, London, England, United Kingdom

    

    After Marischal College merged into the University of Aberdeen, Maxwell accepted the Chair of Natural Philosophy at King's College and moved to London with Katherine.

11. Royal Institution colour-photography demonstration

    1861-01-01 · Royal Institution, 21 Albemarle Street, London, England, United Kingdom

    

    At the Royal Institution, Maxwell demonstrated colour photography through three-colour analysis and synthesis, a landmark public presentation of his colour theory. The source supports the year but not a specific lecture date.

12. Return to Glenlair

    1865-01-01 · Glenlair House, Parton, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, United Kingdom

    

    Maxwell resigned his King's College chair and returned with Katherine to Glenlair, where he continued major theoretical work before returning to Cambridge.

13. First Cavendish Professor

    1871-01-01 · University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England, United Kingdom

    

    Maxwell returned to Cambridge as the first Cavendish Professor of Physics and directed the development of the Cavendish Laboratory. Coordinates represent central University of Cambridge; the original Cavendish Laboratory opened later, in 1874.

14. Death in Cambridge

    1879-11-05 · Cambridge, England, United Kingdom

    

    Maxwell died in Cambridge from abdominal cancer at age forty-eight, ending his tenure as Cavendish Professor. The source gives Cambridge but not the precise building of death; coordinates represent the city centre.