The existence and location of an ionized reflecting layer in the Earth's atmosphere was identified by Edward Appleton, whose research responded to the first long distance radio messages transmitted across the Atlantic Ocean. After Guglielmo Marconi made his successful transmission in 1901, two physicists, Oliver Heaviside and Arthur E. Kennelly postulated the existence of an ionized band inthe atmosphere. More than twenty years later, Appleton, then Wheatstone Professor of Physics at King's College at the University of London verified that hypothesis and later discovered two more layers, one of which is now named in his honor. For his work on atmospheric structure, Appleton was awarded the 1947 Nobel Prize in physics.

Edward Victor Appleton was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, England, on September 6, 1892. His parents were Peter and Mary (Wilcock) Appleton. Appleton attended Barkerend Elementary School from 1899 to 1903 and Hanson Secondary School from 1903 to 1911. He gave evidence of a brilliant future...