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Born in Weston-super-Mare, England
Home of the Grand Pier. It is argued to be the most expensive pier in the world, due to being burned down twice (once during the year of his birth in 1930 and then again in 2008). The latter was at the cost of 52 million pounds. -
Aided in the discovery of the Quark
Physicists Gell-Mann (whom Polkinghorne worked with) and Zweig proposed the discovery of the quark. Quarks are defined as the building blocks of the building blocks that make-up all matter. There are currently six versions of quarks: Up, Down, Charm, Strange, Top and Bottom. Nave, R. Quarks, HyperPhysics*****Quantum Physics, http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Particles/quark.html. -
Singularity structure of the S-Matrix
Polkinghorne was an integral component of redefining elementary particle physics by eliminating the local quantum field theory and replacing it with the S-Matrix theory. The S-Matrix theory uses abstract mathematical calculations to circumvent the issues with space and time found in the local quantum field theory. Polkinghorne, J. C. “S-Matrix Singularity Structure.” SpringerLink, Springer Vienna, 1 Jan. 1967, https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-7091-5485-4_7. -
Elected a fellow of the Royal Society
Polkinghorne's innate ability to bridge the divide between religion and science earned him a position within the fellowship of the Royal Society. McGrath, Alister. “John C. Polkinghorne, Scientist and Priest, Dies at 90.” The Living Church, 19 Mar. 2021, https://livingchurch.org/2021/03/19/john-c-polkinghorne-scientist-and-priest-dies-at-90/. -
Resigned Professorship at Cambridge Univeristy
Polkinghorne decided to transition careers from being a renowned Professor Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge to entering Seminary School at the age of 48. -
Ordained Priest
Polkinghorne was ordained as a Priest and assigned to Parish in South Bristol. O'Connor, J J, and E F Robertson. “John Polkinghorne - Biography.” Maths History, MacTutor, July 2008, https://mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Polkinghorne/#:~:text=Dr%20Polkinghorne%20resigned%20a%20prestigious,becoming%20a%20priest%20in%201982. -
Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II
Polkinghorne was elevated to the status of Knight by Queen Elizabeth II. Polkinghorne was recognized for his dedicated advancements in the fields of science, religion, and medical ethics along with his lifelong attention to learning. Turner, Darrell J. “John Polkinghorne.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Polkinghorne. -
Awarded the Templeton Prize
The Templeton Prize was formerly known as the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion. It is believed to be the equivalent honor equal to the Nobel Prize with regards to religion. It highlights living individuals who have demonstrated an advancement towards spiritual affirmation through personal reflection, demonstration or discovery. Cunningham, John M. “Templeton Prize.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/topic/Templeton-Prize. -
Passing of Rev. John Polkinghorne
Rev. John Polkinghorne was a Mathematician, Physicist, and a Theologian. He was a renowned voice for being able to argue the existence of God in conjunction with science. Throughout his life he has written over thirty books related to science and religion. McGrath, Alister. “John C. Polkinghorne, Scientist and Priest, Dies at 90.” The Living Church, 19 Mar. 2021, https://livingchurch.org/2021/03/19/john-c-polkinghorne-scientist-and-priest-dies-at-90/. -
Video interview of Polkinghorne posted 13 months after his death.
Video interview of Polkinghorne and Robert Lawrence Kuhn discussing science and religion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0myDDLLH1n4
