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Robert Andrews Millikan , born on March 22, 1868, in Morrison, Illinois, was an American physicist. He was a citizen of the United States and passed away on December 19, 1953, in San Marino, California.
Millikan completed his education at Oberlin College, University of Chicago, and Columbia University. He was instructed by Albert A. Michelson in his doctoral studies and later taught several students, among them Carl David Anderson, Charles Christian Lauritsen, Ralph A. Sawyer, William Taylor Ham, Leonard Benedict Loeb, and Harvey Fletcher.
Famous for his oil drop experiment that measured the charge of an electron, Millikan also contributed to the understanding of the photoelectric effect and engaged in cosmic ray physics research. His work garnered him numerous accolades, including the 1923 Nobel Prize in Physics, IEEE Edison Medal, Hughes Medal, Faraday Lectureship Prize, Franklin Medal, Comstock Prize in Physics, Matteucci Medal, ASME Medal, Oersted Medal, and Medal for Merit.
The physicist had three children: Clark Blanchard Millikan, Glenn Allan Millikan, and Max Millikan.
