History of the atom timeline By daniel.dagher Jan 1, 1766 John Dalton John Dalton is considered to be a pioneer of modern atomic theories. Period: Jan 1, 1766 to Dec 31, 2000 The History of the atom May 12, 1856 JJ Thomson May 12, 1871 Ernest Rutherford May 12, 1885 Niels Bohr May 12, 1891 James Chadwick