Michael Faraday, the son of a blacksmith, was born in London in 1791. He was apprenticed to a bookbinder and this contact with books gave him a love of reading. After becoming interested in science, Faraday applied to Humphry Davy for a job. In 1813 Faraday became his temporary assistant and spent the next 18 months touring Europe while during Davy's investigations into his theory of volcanic action.
The government recognized his contribution to science by granting him a pension and giving him a house in Hampton Court. However, Faraday was unwilling to use his scientific knowledge to help military action and in 1853 refused to help develop poison gases to be used in the Crimean War. Michael Faraday died in 1867