Oliver Heaviside was born in Camden Town on 18 May 1850. His father, Thomas Heaviside, was a wood engraver originally from Stockton-on-Tees. Oliver suffered from Scarlet Fever in his youth, which left him partially deaf. He left school at sixteen and pursued his studies at home, and he led a rather solitary lifestyle. Despite his lack of a university education, he made some significant contributions to the subject of electrical engineering, many of which are just as relevant and important today. The talk will explain something of Heaviside’s life, his unusual character, and the nature and significance of his contributions. This talk anticipates the centenary of Oliver Heaviside’s death on 3 February 1925, in Torquay.

Hugh Griffiths is Professor of Electronic Engineering at University College London. He undertakes research into novel radar systems, and was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 2021.