John Cockcroft blue plaque

This blue commemorative plaque records: Sir John Cockcroft OM KCB CBE FRS 1887-1967 scientist, administrator, pioneer in the development of peaceful uses of nuclear power. In 1932, with Dr E. T. S. Walton, he was the first man to split the atom by artificial means. Joint winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1951. Honorary Freeman of the Borough of Todmorden

Sir John Cockcroft was a pioneering nuclear physicist who, alongside E.T.S. Walton, achieved the first artificial splitting of the atom in 1932, a foundational step in nuclear physics that earned them the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1951. He is also remembered for his significant contributions to the development of peaceful applications of nuclear power and his administrative roles in scientific institutions.