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Copley Medal

Award given by the Royal Society of London

Award given by the Royal Society of London

FieldValue
nameCopley Medal
imageSir George Gabriel Stokes, Copley gold medal.jpg
captionThe Copley Medal awarded to George Stokes in 1893 (obverse)
awarded_forOutstanding research in any branch of science
sponsorRoyal Society
countryUnited Kingdom
year
website
image2Sir George Gabriel Stokes, Copley gold medal (reverse side).jpg
image2_size160
caption2Reverse
lowerBakerian Medal (physical sciences)
Croonian Medal (biological sciences)

Croonian Medal (biological sciences)

The Copley Medal is the most prestigious award of the Royal Society of the United Kingdom, conferred "for sustained, outstanding achievements in any field of science". The award alternates between the physical sciences or mathematics and the biological sciences. It is widely considered the highest British and Commonwealth award for scientific merit and achievement, and has regularly been included among the most distinguished international scientific awards. Due to its historic significance, the Copley Medal has often been viewed as a predecessor to the Nobel Prize.

Given annually, the medal is the oldest Royal Society medal awarded and the oldest surviving scientific award in the world, having first been given in 1731 to Stephen Gray, for "his new Electrical Experiments: – as an encouragement to him for the readiness he has always shown in obliging the Society with his discoveries and improvements in this part of Natural Knowledge". The medal is made of silver-gilt and awarded with a £25,000 prize.

It is awarded to "senior scientists" irrespective of nationality, and nominations are considered over three nomination cycles. Since 2022, scientific teams or research groups are collectively eligible to receive the medal; that year, the research team which developed the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine became the first collective recipient. John Theophilus Desaguliers has won the medal the most often, winning three times, in 1734, 1736 and 1741. In 1976, Dorothy Hodgkin became the first female recipient; Jocelyn Bell Burnell, in 2021, became the second.

TOC

History

In 1709, Sir Godfrey Copley, the MP for Thirsk, bequeathed Abraham Hill and Hans Sloane £100 (roughly equivalent to £ in ) to be held in trust for the Royal Society "for improving natural knowledge to be laid out in experiments or otherwise for the benefit thereof as they shall direct and appoint". After the legacy had been received the following year, the interest of £5 was duly used to provide recurring grants for experimental work to researchers associated with the Royal Society, provided they registered their research within a stipulated period and demonstrated their experiments at an annual meeting. In 1726, following a proposal by Sloane, the grants were extended to "strangers" unaffiliated with the Society to encourage "new and useful experiments", though it was only five years later that Stephen Gray became the first such recipient. Prior to Gray, John Theophilus Desaguliers was apparently the only recipient of the grant, but had not always conducted the required annual demonstration.

In November 1736, Martin Folkes, then vice-president of the Society, suggested the Copley grant be converted to "a medal or other honorary prize to be bestowed on the person whose experiment should be best approved...a laudable emulation might be excited among men of genius to try their invention, who in all probability may never be moved for the sake of lucre". On 7 December 1736, the Council of the Royal Society agreed to Folkes' proposal, passing a resolution that the annual Copley grant of five pounds (roughly equivalent to £ in ) be converted to a gold medal "of the same Value, with the Arms of the Society impress’d on it", to be gifted "for the best Experiment produced within the Year, and bestowed in such a manner as to avoid any Envy or Disgust in Rivalship". John Belchier was the first to receive the new award in 1737; due to delays in approving a medal design, however, the medal, designed and struck by John Sigismund Tanner of the Royal Mint, was only presented to Belchier in 1742. Gray and Desaguliers received their medals retrospectively.

Into the early 19th century, medal recipients were selected by the President of the Royal Society, though not always on the basis of publications and experimental demonstrations; political and social connections were also key considerations, along with service in the general interests of the Society. During the long presidency of Joseph Banks, the medal was frequently awarded to recipients whose researches were of a practical or technical nature, involving improvements to scientific equipment or instrument design. In 1831, new regulations adopted by the Royal Society Council made the medal an annual award, dropped the requirement for conducting the qualifying research within a certain period and officially opened it to scientists from any nation; although the medal had previously been awarded to foreign scientists including Alessandro Volta, the majority of recipients had been British subjects. A second donation of £1666 13s. 4d. (roughly equivalent to £ in ) was made by Sir Joseph William Copley in 1881, and the interest from that amount is used to pay for the medal.

Prestige of the medal

By the 1840s, the Copley Medal had achieved international prestige; in 1850, George Airy noted the distinction of the medal was that it was "offered to the competition of the world". The Copley medal has been characterised as a predecessor to the Nobel Prize. Since its inception, it has been awarded to many distinguished scientists, including 52 winners of the Nobel Prize: 17 in Physics, 21 in Physiology or Medicine, and 14 in Chemistry.

Medal recipients

YearImageNameRationaleNotes
1731[[File:No image.svg75px]]"For his new Electrical Experiments: – as an encouragement to him for the readiness he has always shown in obliging the Society with his discoveries and improvements in this part of Natural Knowledge"url=http://oxforddnb.com/view/article/11354?&docPos=2&backToResults=title=Oxford DNB article:Gray, Stephen (subscription needed)year=2004doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/11354access-date=2009-01-29last1=Ben-Chaimfirst1=Michael }}
1732[[File:No image.svg75px]]"For the Experiments he made for the year 1732"
1733[[File:No image.svg75px]]*No Award*——
1734[[File:John Theophilus Desaguliers.jpg75px]]"In consideration of his several Experiments performed before the Society"url=http://oxforddnb.com/view/article/7539?&docPos=4&backToResults=title=Oxford DNB article:Desaguliers, John Theophilus (subscription needed)year=2004doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/7539access-date=2009-01-29}}
1735[[File:No image.svg75px]]*No Award*——
1736[[File:John Theophilus Desaguliers.jpg75px]]"For his experiments made during the year"
1737[[File:Belchier John 1706-1785.png75px]]"For his Experiment to show the property of a Diet of Madder Root in dyeing the Bones of living animals of a red colour"
1738[[File:No image.svg75px]]"For his invention of an Engine for driving the Piles to make a Foundation for the Bridge to be erected at Westminster, the Model whereof had been shown to the Society"—
1739[[File:Stephen Hales.jpg75px]]"For his Experiments towards the Discovery of Medicines for dissolving the Stone; and Preservatives for keeping Meat in long voyages at Sea"
1740[[File:No image.svg75px]]"For his Lectures on Muscular Motion. As a further addition for his services to the Society in the care and pains he has taken therein"
1741[[File:John Theophilus Desaguliers.jpg75px]]"For his Experiments towards the discovery of the properties of Electricity. As an addition to his allowance (as Curator) for the present year."
1742[[File:No image.svg75px]]"For the communication of his Observations in the attempt of discovering a North-West passage to the East Indies through Hudsons Bay"
1743[[File:Abraham Trembley.jpg75px]]"For his Experiments on the Polypus"—
1744[[File:Henry Baker (naturalist).jpg75px]]"For his curious Experiments relating to the Crystallization or Configuration of the minute particles of Saline Bodies dissolved in a menstruum"
1745[[File:William Watson.jpg75px]]"On account of the surprising discoveries in the phenomena of Electricity, exhibited in his late Experiments"
1746[[File:No image.svg75px]]"On account of his curious Experiments for showing the resistance of the Air, and his rules for establishing his doctrine thereon for the motion of Projectiles"
1747[[File:Gowin Knight from Science & Society 10198868.jpg75px]]"On account of several very curious Experiments exhibited by him, both with Natural and Artificial Magnets"url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_EUoLAAAAIAAJpage=[71](https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_EUoLAAAAIAAJ/page/n92)title=Cavendishlast1=Jungnickelfirst1=Christaauthor1-link=Christa Jungnickelfirst2= Russelllast2=McCormmachauthor2-link= Russell McCormmachyear=1996publisher=American Philosophical Societyaccess-date=2009-01-29isbn=9780871692207}}
1748[[File:James Bradley by Thomas Hudson.jpg75px]]"On account of his very curious and wonderful discoveries in the apparent motion of the Fixed Stars, and the causes of such apparent motion"
1749[[File:John Harrison Uhrmacher.jpg75px]]"On account of those very curious Instruments, invented and made by him, for the exact mensuration of Time"JungnickelMcCormmach1996page=[99](https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_EUoLAAAAIAAJ/page/n120)}}
1750[[File:Edwards George 1693 1773.jpg75px]]"On account of a very curious Book lately published by him, and intiyled, A Natural History of Birds, &c. – containing the Figures elegantly drawn, and illuminated in their proper colours, of 209 different Birds, and about 20 very rare Quadrupeds, Serpents, Fishes, and Insects."
1751[[File:John Canton from NPG.jpg75px]]"On account of his communicating to the Society, and exhibiting before them, his curious method of making Artificial Magnets without the use of Natural ones"JungnickelMcCormmach1996page=[100](https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_EUoLAAAAIAAJ/page/n121)}}
1752[[File:John Pringle.jpg75px]]Sir John Pringle, 1st Baronet"On account of his very curious and useful Experiments and Observations on Septic and Anti-septic Substances, communicated to the Society"
1753[[File:Feke - Benjamin Franklin.png75px]]"On account of his curious Experiments and Observations on Electricity"
1754[[File:No image.svg75px]]"For the many Experiments made by him on Platina, which tend to the discovery of the sophistication of gold: – which he would have entirely completed, but was obliged to put a stop to his further enquiries for want of materials"
1755[[File:John Huxham.jpg75px]]"For his many useful Experiments on Antimony, of which an account had been read to the Society"
1756[[File:No image.svg75px]]*No Award*——
1757[[File:No image.svg75px]]"On account of his very curious and useful invention of making Thermometers, showing respectively the greatest degrees of heat and cold which have happened at any time during the absence of the observer"
1758[[File:John Dollond, by Benjamin Wilson.jpg75px]]"On account of his curious Experiments and Discoveries concerning the different refrangibility of the Rays of Light, communicated to the Society"
1759[[File:John Smeaton.jpg75px]]"On account of his curious Experiments concerning Water-wheels and Wind-mill Sails, communicated to the Society. For his experimental enquiry concerning the powers of water and wind in the moving of Mills"
1760[[File:Benjamin Wilson, by Benjamin Wilson.jpg75px]]"For his many curious Experiments in Electricity, communicated to the Society within the year"
1761[[File:No image.svg75px]]*No Award*——
1762[[File:No image.svg75px]]*No Award*——
1763[[File:No image.svg75px]]*No Award*——
1764[[File:John Canton from NPG.jpg75px]]"For his very ingenious and elegant Experiments in the Air Pump and Condensing Engine, to prove the Compressibility of Water, and some other Fluids"
1765[[File:No image.svg75px]]*No Award*——
1766[[File:Cavendish Henry signature.jpg75px]],"For an experimental enquiry into the Mineral Elastic Spirit, or Air, contained in Spa-Water; as well as into the Mephitic qualities of this Spirit. (Brownrigg)"
1767[[File:No image.svg75px]]"For his Papers of the year 1767, On the animal nature of the Genus of Zoophytes called Corallina, and the Actinia Sociata, or Clustered Animal Flower, lately found on the sea coasts of the new-ceded Islands"
1768[[File:No image.svg75px]]"For his Experiments on the Distillation of Acids, Volatile Alkalies, and other substances"
1769[[File:William Hewson b1739.jpg75px]]"For his Two Papers, entitled, An Account of the Lymphatic System in Amphibious Animals, – and An Account of the Lymphatic System in Fish"—
1770[[File:Sir William Hamilton by David Allan.jpg75px]]"For his Paper, entitled, An Account of a Journey to Mount Etna"
1771[[File:No image.svg75px]]"For his paper entitled, An Enquiry into the value of ancient Greek and Roman Money"—
1772[[File:Priestley.jpg75px]]"On account of the many curious and useful Experiments contained in his observations on different kinds of Air"
1773[[File:No image.svg75px]]"For his Paper on the Torpedo"
1774[[File:No image.svg75px]]*No Award*——
1775[[File:Maskelyne Nevil.jpg75px]]"In consideration of his curious and laborious Observations on the Attraction of Mountains, made in Scotland, – on Schehallien"
1776[[File:Captainjamescookportrait.jpg75px]]"For his Paper, giving an account of the method he had taken to preserve the health of the crew of H.M. Ship the Resolution, during her late voyage round the world. Whose communication to the Society was of such importance to the public"title=Stephen Hawking wins Copley Medalurl=http://www.trinhall.cam.ac.uk/news/article.asp?ItemID=734url-status=deadarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205132853/http://www.trinhall.cam.ac.uk/news/article.asp?ItemID=734archive-date=2008-12-05access-date=2009-02-07publisher=Trinity Hall, Cambridge}}
1777[[File:J.Mudge.jpg75px]]"On account of his valuable Paper containing directions for making the best Composition for the metals of Reflecting Telescopes; together with a description of the process for grinding, polishing, and giving the best speculum the true parabolic form"—
1778[[File:Charles Hutton.jpg75px]]"For his paper, entitled, The force of Fired Gunpowder, and the initial velocity of Cannon Balls, determined by Experiments"
1779[[File:No image.svg75px]]*No Award*——
1780[[File:Samuel-Vince.jpg75px]]"For his paper, entitled, An investigation of the Principles of Progressive and Rotatory Motion, printed in the Philosophical Transactions"url=http://www.nla.gov.au/cdview/nla.ms-ms9-15title=Digital Collections – Manuscripts – Item 15a – 15z, 15(1) – 15(20): Addresses to the Royal Society, London the first on being appointed to the Chair and later addresses on presentations of the Copley Medal, 1778–1796.publisher=National Library of Australiaaccess-date=2009-01-29archive-date=2015-10-18archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018164102/http://www.nla.gov.au/apps/cdview/nla.ms-ms9-15url-status=live}}
1781[[File:William Herschel01.jpg75px]]"For the Communication of his Discovery of a new and singular Star; a discovery which does him particular honour, as, in all probability, this star has been for many years, perhaps ages, within the bounds of astronomic vision, and yet till now, eluded the most diligent researches of other observers"
1782[[File:Kirwan Richard portrait.jpg75px]]"As a reward for the merit of his labours in the science of Chemistry. For his chemical analyses of Salts"
1783[[File:Goodricke John.jpg75px]]and Thomas Hutchins"For his discovery of the Period of the Variation of Light in the Star Algol. (Goodricke)"
1784[[File:Edwardwaring.jpg75px]]"For his Mathematical Communications to the Society. For his Paper On the Summation of Series, whose general term is a determinate function of z the distance from the first term of the series"
1785[[File:No image.svg75px]]"For his Measurement of a Base on Hounslow Heath"
1786[[File:No image.svg75px]]*No Award*——
1787[[File:John Hunter by John Jackson.jpg75px]]"For his three Papers, – On the Ovaria, On the identity of the dog, wolf, and jackall species, and On the anatomy of Whales, printed in the Philosophical Transactions for 1787"
1788[[File:Sir Charles Blagden Wellcome M0013989.jpg75px]]"For his two Papers on Congelation, printed in the last (78th) volume of the Philosophical transactions"
1789[[File:Thomas Lawrence - Portrait of William Morgan (1750-1833).jpg75px]]"For his two Papers on the values of Reversions and Survivorships, printed in the two last volumes of the Philosophical Transactions"
1790[[File:No image.svg75px]]*No Award*——
1791[[File:James Rennell 1799.jpg75px]]
[[File:Jean-André Deluc.jpg75px]]and"For his Paper on the Rate of Travelling as performed by Camels, printed in the last (81st) volume of the Philosophical Transactions. (Rennell)"
1792[[File:Benjamin Thompson.jpg75px]]"For his various Papers on the Properties and Communication of Heat"
1793[[File:No image.svg75px]]*No Award*——
1794[[File:Alessandro Volta.jpeg75px]]"For his several Communications explanatory of certain Experiments published by Professor Galvani"
1795[[File:Jesse Ramsden. Mezzotint by J. Jones, 1790, after R. Home. Wellcome V0004900.jpg75px]]"For his various inventions and improvements in the construction of the Instruments for the Trigonometrical measurements carried on by the late Major General Roy, and by Lieut. Col. Williams and his associates"
1796[[File:No image.svg75px]]"For his Paper on the construction and analysis of geometrical propositions determining the positions assumed by homogeneal bodies which float freely, and at rest; and also determining the Stability of Ships and other floating bodies"
1797[[File:No image.svg75px]]*No Award*——
1798[[File:Catalogue of portraits, miniatures &c. - in the possession of Cecil George Savile, 4th Earl of Liverpool, Lord Steward, &c (1905) (14760258041).jpg75px]]
[[File:Charles Hatchett. Soft-ground etching by F. C. Lewis after T Wellcome V0002614 (cropped).jpg75px]]and"For his various Communications printed in the Philosophical Transactions. (Evelyn)"
1799[[File:John Hellins.jpeg75px]]"For his improved Solution of a problem in Physical Astronomy, &c. printed in the Philosophical Transactions for the year 1798; and his other Mathematical Papers"
1800"For his Paper on a New Fulminating Mercury"
1801[[File:Astley Paston Cooper 4.jpg75px]]"For his Papers – on the effects which take place from the destruction of the Membrana Tympani of the Ear; with an account of an operation for the removal of a particular species of Deafness"
1802[[File:Wollaston William Hyde Jackson color.jpg75px]]"For his various Papers printed in the Philosophical Transactions"
1803[[File:Chenevix Richard.jpg75px]]"For his various Chemical Papers printed in the Philosophical Transactions"
1804[[File:No image.svg75px]]"For his various Chemical Discoveries communicated to the Society, and printed in several volumes of the Philosophical Transactions"
1805[[File:Sir Humphry Davy, Bt by Thomas Phillips.jpg75px]]"For his various Communications published in the Philosophical Transactions"
1806[[File:Thomas Andrew Knight (1758–1838).jpg75px]]"For his various Papers on Vegetation, printed in the Philosophical Transactions"
1807[[File:Sir Everard Home 1756–1832.jpg75px]]"For his various Papers on Anatomy and Physiology, printed in the Philosophical Transactions"—
1808[[File:William Henry.jpg75px]]"For his various papers communicated to the society, and printed in the Philosophical Transactions"—
1809[[File:Edward_Troughton.jpeg75px]]"For the Account of his Method of dividing Astronomical Instruments, printed in the last volume of the Philosophical Transactions"
1810[[File:No image.svg75px]]*No Award*——
1811[[File:Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie, 1st Bt 1856.jpg75px]]"For his Papers printed in the Philosophical Transactions. On the influence of the Brain on the action of the Heart, and the generation of Animal Heat; and on the different modes in which death is brought on by certain Vegetable Poisons"
1812[[File:No image.svg75px]]*No Award*——
1813[[File:William Thomas Brande 1855.jpg75px]]"For his Communications concerning the Alcohol contained in Fermented Liquors and other Papers, printed in the Philosophical Transactions"—
1814[[File:No image.svg75px]]"For his various Mathematical Contributions printed in the Philosophical Transactions"
1815[[File:David-Brewster.jpg75px]]"For his Paper on the Polarization of Light by Reflection from Transparent Bodies"
1816[[File:No image.svg75px]]*No Award*——
1817[[File:Henry Kater00.jpg75px]]"For his Experiments on the Pendulum"
1818[[File:Robert Seppings (1767-1840), by William Bradley.jpg75px]]"For his Papers on the construction of Ships of War, printed in the Philosophical Transactions"—
1819[[File:No image.svg75px]]*No Award*——
1820[[File:Hans Christian Ørsted daguerreotype.jpg75px]]"For his Electro-magnetic Discoveries"
1821[[File:Edward Sabine 1860s.jpg75px]]
[[File:Julia Margaret Cameron - John Herschel (Metropolitan Museum of Art copy, restored)_levels.jpg75px]]and"For his various Communications to the Royal Society relating to his researches made in the late Expedition to the Arctic Regions. (Sabine)"
1822[[File:William Buckland c1845.jpg75px]]"For his Paper on the Fossil Teeth and Bones discovered in a Cave at Kirkdale"
1823[[File:No image.svg75px]]"For his various Communications to the Royal Society"—
1824[[File:No image.svg75px]]"For his various Communications to the Royal Society"
1825[[File:Arago Francois portrait.jpg75px]]
[[File:Peter Barlow(math).jpg75px]]and Peter Barlow"For the Discovery of the Magnetic Properties of substances not containing Iron. For the Discovery of the power of various bodies, principally metallic, to receive magnetic impressions, in the same, though in a more evanescent manner than malleable Iron, and in an infinitely less intense degree. (Arago)"
1826[[File:No image.svg75px]]"For his observations of Double Stars, and his Paper on the Discordances between the Suns observed and computed Right Ascensions, published in the Transactions of the Society. For his Paper of Observations of the Apparent Distances and Positions of Four Hundred and Fifty-eight Double and Triple Stars, published in the present volume (1826, Part 1.) of the Transactions"
1827[[File:Prout William painting.jpg75px]]and"For his Paper entitled, On the ultimate Composition of simple alimentary substances, with some preliminary remarks on the analysis of organized bodies in general. (Prout)"
1828[[File:No image.svg75px]]*No Award*——
1829[[File:No image.svg75px]]*No Award*——
1830[[File:No image.svg75px]]*No Award*——
1831[[File:George Biddell Airy.jpg75px]]"For his Papers, On the principle of the construction of the Achromatic Eye-pieces of Telescopes, – On the Spherical Aberration of the Eye-pieces of Telescopes, and for other Papers on Optical Subjects in the Transactions of the Cambridge Philosophical Society"
1832[[File:Faraday-Millikan-Gale-1913.jpg75px]]
[[File:Simeon Poisson.jpg75px]]and Siméon Denis Poisson"For his discovery of Magneto-Electricity as detailed in his Experimental Researches in Electricity, published in the Philosophical Transactions for the present year. (Faraday)"
1833[[File:No image.svg75px]]*No Award*——
1834[[File:Giovanni Plana, ante 1864 - Accademia delle Scienze di Torino Ritratti 0105 C.jpg75px]]"For his work entitled, Theorie du Mouvement de la Lune"
1835[[File:No image.svg75px]]"For his experimental investigations of the force of electricity of high intensity contained in the Philosophical Transactions of 1834"
1836[[File:Jöns Jacob Berzelius.jpg75px]]and Francis Kiernan"For his systematic application of the doctrine of definite proportions to the analysis of mineral bodies, as contained in his Nouveau Systeme de Mineralogie, and in other of his works. (Berzelius)"—
1837[[File:Antoine Becquerel 2.jpg75px]]
[[File:Daniell chemist b.jpg75px]]and"For his various memoirs on the subject of electricity, published in the Memoires deacademie Royale des Sciences de lInstitut de France, and particularly for those on the production of crystals of metallic sulphurets and of sulphur, by the long-continued action of electricity of very low tension, and published in the tenth volume of those Memoires. (Becquerel)"
1838[[File:Carl Friedrich Gauss.jpg75px]]
[[File:Faraday-Millikan-Gale-1913.jpg75px]]"For his inventions and mathematical researches in magnetism. (Gauss)"
1839[[File:Robert Brown (botanist).jpg75px]]"For his discoveries during a series of years, on the subject of vegetable impregnation"
1840[[File:Justus von Liebig NIH.jpg75px]]
[[File:Charles Sturm.jpeg75px]]and"For his discoveries in organic chemistry, and particularly for his development of the composition and theory of organic radicals. (Liebig)"
1841[[File:Georg Simon Ohm3.jpg75px]]"For his researches into the laws of electric currents contained in various memoirs published in Schweiggers Journal, Poggendorffs Annalen and in a separate work entitled Die galvanische Kette mathematisch bearbeitet"
1842[[File:James MacCullagh.png75px]]"For his researches connected with the wave theory of light, contained in the Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy"
1843[[File:Jean Baptiste André Dumas.jpg75px]]"For his late valuable researches in organic chemistry, particularly those contained in a series of memoirs on chemical types and the doctrine of substitution, and also for his elaborate investigations of the atomic weights of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen and other elements"—
1844[[File:Carlo Matteucci.jpeg75px]]"For his various researches in animal electricity"
1845[[File:Theodor Schwann Litho.jpg75px]]"For his physiological researches on the development of animal & vegetable textures, published in his work entitled Mikroskopische Untersuchungen uber die Uebereinstimmung in der Struktur u. dem Wachsthun der Thiese u. Pflanzen"—
1846[[File:Urbain Le Verrier.jpg75px]]"For his investigations relative to the disturbances of Uranus by which he proved the existence and predicted the place of the new Planet; the Council considering such prediction confirmed as it was by the immediate discovery of the Planet to be one of the proudest triumphs of modern analysis applied to the Newtonian Theory of Gravitation"
1847[[File:Julia Margaret Cameron - John Herschel (Metropolitan Museum of Art copy, restored).jpg75px]]"For his work entitled Results of Astronomical Observations made during the years 1834, 1835, 1836, 1837 and 1838, at the Cape of Good Hope; being a completion of a telescopic survey of the whole surface of the visible heavens, commenced in 1825"
1848[[File:John Couch Adams.jpg75px]]"For his investigations relative to the disturbances of Uranus, and for his application of the inverse problem of perturbations thereto"
1849[[File:Murchison Roderick.jpg75px]]"For the eminent services he has rendered to geological science during many years of active observation in several parts of Europe; and especially for the establishment of that classification of the older Palaeozoic deposits designated the Silurian System, as set forth in the two works entitled The Silurian System founded on Geological Researches in England, and The Geology of Russia in Europe and the Ural Mountains"—
1850[[File:P.A.Hansen.jpg75px]]"For his researches in physical astronomy"url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/public/themes/93/93188.htmltitle=Oxford DNB theme: Holders of the Copley Medal (subscription needed)year=2004publisher=Oxford University Pressaccess-date=2009-02-15archive-date=2012-10-23archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023015729/http://www.oxforddnb.com/public/themes/93/93188.htmlurl-status=live}}
1851[[File:Richard-owen2.jpg75px]]"On account of his important discoveries in comparative anatomy & palaeontology, contained in the Philosophical Transactions and numerous other works"
1852[[File:AvHumboldt.jpg75px]]"For his eminent services in terrestrial physics, during a series of years"
1853[[File:Heinrich Wilhelm Dove 1857.jpg75px]]"For his work on the distribution of heat over the surface of the Earth"—
1854[[File:Johannes Peter Müller.jpg75px]]"For his important contributions to different branches of physiology and comparative anatomy, and particularly for his researches on the embryology of the Echinodermata, contained in a series of memoirs published in the Transactions of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Berlin"
1855[[File:Foucault 01.png75px]]"For his various researches in experimental physics"
1856[[File:Henri Milne-Edwards.jpg75px]]"For his researches in comparative anatomy and zoology"—
1857[[File:Michel Eugène Chevreul 2.jpg75px]]"For his researches in organic chemistry, particularly on the composition of the fats, and for his researches on the contrast of coulours"
1858[[File:Charles Lyell00.jpg75px]]"For his various researches and writings by which he has contributed to the advance of geology"
1859[[File:Wilhelm Eduard Weber II.jpg75px]]"For the investigations contained in his Maasbestimmungen and other researches in electricity, magnetism, acoustics"
1860[[File:Robert Bunsen 02.jpg75px]]"For his researches on cacodyls, gaseous analysis, the volcanic phenomena of Iceland; and other researches"
1861[[File:Louis Agassiz H6.jpg75px]]"For his eminent researches in palaeontology and other branches of science, and particularly for his great works the Poissons Fossiles, and his Poissons du Vieux Gres Rouge dEcosse"
1862[[File:Thomas Graham by Maull & Polybank, 1856.jpg75px]]"For three memoirs of the diffusion of liquids, published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1850 and 1851; for a memoir on osmotic force in the Philosophical Transactions for 1854; and particularly for a paper on liquid diffusion applied to analysis, including a distinction of compounds into colloids & crystalloids published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1861"
1863[[File:Adam Sedgwick.jpg75px]]"For his original observations and discoveries in the geology of the Palaeozoic Series of rocks, and more especially for his determination of the characters of the Devonian System, by observations of the order of superposition of the Killas rocks & their fossils in Devonshire"
1864[[File:Charles Darwin seated crop.jpg75px]]"For his important researches in geology, zoology, and botanical physiology"
1865[[File:Michel Chasles.jpg75px]]"For his historical and original researches in pure geometry"
1866[[File:Julius Plücker.jpg75px]]"For his researches in analytical geometry, magnetism, & spectral analysis"
1867[[File:Voyages_de_la_Commission_scientifique_du_Nord,_en_Scandinavie,_en_Laponie,_au_Spitzberg_et_aux_Feröe_-_no-nb_digibok_2009040211001-118.jpg75px]]"For his discoveries in embryology and comparative anatomy, and for his contributions to the philosophy of zoology"
1868[[File:Wheatstone Charles drawing 1868.jpg75px]]"For his researches in acoustics, optics, electricity and magnetism"
1869[[File:Henri Victor Regnault.jpg75px]]"For the second volume of his *Relation des Experiences pour determiner les lois et les donnees physiques necessaires au calcul des machines a feu*, including his elaborate investigations on the specific heat of gases and vapours, and various papers on the elastic force of vapours"
1870[[File:Joule James sitting.jpg75px]]"For his experimental researches on the dynamical theory of heat"
1871[[File:Julius Robert Mayer von Friedrich Berrer.jpg75px]]"For his researches on the mechanics of heat; including essays on: – 1. The force of inorganic nature. 2. Organic motion in connection with nutrition. 3. Fever. 4. Celestial dynamics. 5. The mechanical equivalent of heat"
1872[[File:Friedrich Wöhler Stich.jpg75px]]"For his numerous contributions to the science of chemistry, and more especially for his researches on the products of the decomposition of cyanogens by ammonia; on the derivatives of uric acid; on the benzoyl series; on boron, silicon, & their compounds; and on meteoric stones"
1873[[File:Hermann von Helmholtz.jpg75px]]"For his researches in physics and physiology"
1874[[File:Louis Pasteur, foto av Paul Nadar, Crisco edit.jpg75px]]"For his researches on fermentation and on pelerine"
1875[[File:Hoffman August Wilhelm von.jpg75px]]"For his numerous contributions to the science of chemistry, and especially for his researches on the derivatives of ammonia"
1876[[File:Claude Bernard.jpg75px]]"For his numerous contributions to the science of physiology"
1877[[File:James Dwight Dana by Warren, 1865.jpg75px]]"For his biological, geological, and mineralogical investigations, carried on through half a century, and for the valuable works in which his conclusions and discoveries have been published"
1878[[File:Jean Baptiste JD Boussingault.jpg75px]]"For his long-continued and important researches and discoveries in agricultural chemistry"
1879[[File:Clausius.jpg75px]]"For his well-known researches upon heat"
1880[[File:James Joseph Sylvester.jpg75px]]"For his long continued investigations & discoveries in mathematics"
1881[[File:Charles-Adolphe Wurtz.jpg75px]]"For his discovery of the organic ammonias, the glycols, and other investigations which have exercised considerable influence on the progress of chemistry"—
1882[[File:Arthur Cayley.jpg75px]]"For his numerous profound and comprehensive researches in pure mathematics"
1883[[File:Baron Kelvin 1906.jpg75px]]"For (1) his discovery of the law of the universal dissipation of energy; (2) his researches and eminent services in physics, both experimental & mathematical, especially in the theory of electricity and thermodynamics"
1884[[File:Carl Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig.jpg75px]]"For his investigations in physiology, and the great services which he has rendered to physiological science"—
1885[[File:Frkekulé.jpg75px]]"For his researches in organic chemistry"
1886[[File:Franz Ernst Neumann by Carl Steffeck 1886.jpg75px]]"For his researches in theoretical optics and electro-dynamics"
1887[[File:Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker.jpg75px]]"For his services to botanical science as an investigator, author, and traveller"
1888[[File:T.H.Huxley(Woodburytype).jpg75px]]"For his investigations on the morphology and histology of vertebrate and invertebrate animals, and for his services to biological science in general during many past years"
1889[[File:GeorgeSalmon(1819-1904).jpg75px]]"For his various papers on subjects of pure mathematics, and for the valuable mathematical treatises of which he is the author"
1890[[File:Simon Newcomb 01.jpg75px]]"For his contributions to the progress of gravitational astronomy"
1891[[File:Stanislao Cannizzaro 01 (cropped).jpg75px]]"For his contributions to chemical philosophy especially for his application of Avogadros theory"
1892[[File:Rudolf Virchow NLM3.jpg75px]]"For his investigations in pathology, pathological anatomy, and prehistoric archaeology"
1893[[File:Ggstokes.jpg75px]]"For his researches and discoveries in physical science"
1894[[File:Frankland Edward 26.jpg75px]]"For his eminent services to theoretical & applied chemistry"
1895[[File:Karl Weierstrass.jpg75px]]"For his investigations in pure mathematics"
1896[[File:Gegenbaur.jpg75px]]"For his life-long researches in comparative anatomy in all branches of the animal kingdom. etc., etc"—
1897[[File:Kolliker2.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his important work in embryology, comparative anatomy, and physiology, and especially for his eminence as a histologist"—
1898[[File:Sir William Huggins by John Collier.jpg75px]]"For his researches in spectrum analysis applied to the heavenly bodies"
1899[[File:John William Strutt.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his contributions to physical science"
1900[[File:Marcellin Berthelot.jpg75px]]"For his brilliant services to chemical science"
1901[[File:Josiah Willard Gibbs -from MMS-.jpg75px]]"For his contributions to mathematical physics"
1902[[File:Joseph Lister 1902.jpg75px]]"In recognition of the value of his physiological and pathological researches in regard to their influence on the modern practice of surgery"url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/public/themes/93/93188.htmltitle=Oxford DNB theme: Holders of the Copley Medalyear=2004publisher=Oxford University Pressaccess-date=2009-02-15archive-date=2012-10-23archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023015729/http://www.oxforddnb.com/public/themes/93/93188.htmlurl-status=live}}
1903[[File:Eduard Sueß.jpg75px]]"For his eminent geological services, & especially for the original researches & conclusions published in his great work 'Das Antlitz der Erde'"
1904[[File:PSM V10 D660 William Crookes.jpg75px]]"For his long-continued researches in spectroscopic chemistry, on electrical & mechanical phenomena in highly-rarefied gases, on radio-active phenomena, and other subjects"
1905[[File:DIMendeleevCab.jpg75px]]"For his contributions to chemical and physical science"
1906[[File:Ilya Mechnikov nobel.jpg75px]]"On the ground of the importance of his work in zoology and in pathology"
1907[[File:Albert Abraham Michelson2.jpg75px]]"On the ground of his investigations in optics"
1908[[File:Alfred-Russel-Wallace-c1895.jpg75px]]"On the ground of the great value of his numerous contributions to natural history, and of the part he took in working out the theory of the origin of species by natural selection"
1909[[File:Hill1905.jpg75px]]"On the ground of his researches in mathematical astronomy"
1910[[File:Francis Galton 1850s.jpg75px]]"On the ground of his researches in heredity"
1911[[File:George Darwin sepia tone.jpg75px]]"On the ground of his researches on tidal theory, the figures of the planets, and allied subjects"
1912[[File:Felix Klein.jpeg75px]]"On the ground of his researches in mathematics"
1913[[File:Ray Lankester.png75px]]"On the ground of the high scientific value of the researches in zoology carried out by him"
1914[[File:J.J Thomson.jpg75px]]"On the ground of his discoveries in physical science"
1915[[File:Ivan Pavlov NLM3.jpg75px]]"On the ground of his investigations in the physiology of digestion and of the higher centres of the nervous system"
1916[[File:James Dewar.jpg75px]]"For his important investigations in physical chemistry, more especially his researches on the liquefaction of gases"
1917[[File:Pierre Paul Émile Roux 2.jpg75px]]"On the ground of his eminence as a bacteriologist, and as a pioneer in serum therapy"
1918[[File:Hendrik Antoon Lorentz.jpg75px]]"On the ground of his distinguished researches in mathematical physics"
1919[[File:WilliamBayliss1.jpg75px]]"On the ground of his researches in general physiology & biophysics"
1920[[File:Horace Tabberer Brown c1889.jpg75px]]"On the ground of his work on the chemistry of carbohydrates, &c"
1921[[File:Joseph Larmor.jpeg75px]]"For his researches in mathematical physics"
1922[[File:Sir Ernest Rutherford.jpg75px]]"For his researches in radio activity & atomic structure"
1923[[File:Lamb Horace bw.jpg75px]]"For his researches in mathematical physics"
1924[[File:PSM V79 D521 Edward Albert Sharpey-Schafer.png75px]]"For the valuable work he has done in physiology and histology and the position he now occupies as a leader in these sciences"—
1925[[File:Einstein 1921 by F Schmutzer - restoration.jpg75px]]"For his theory of relativity and his contributions to the quantum theory"
1926[[File:Frederick Gowland Hopkins nobel.jpg75px]]"For his distinguished and fruitful work in biochemistry"
1927[[File:Prof. Charles Scott Sherrington.jpg75px]]"For his distinguished work on neurology"
1928[[File:Charles Algernon Parsons.jpg75px]]"For his contributions to engineering science"—
1929[[File:Max Planck 1933.jpg75px]]"For his contributions to theoretical physics and especially as the originator of the quantum theory"
1930[[File:Wh-bragg.jpg75px]]"For his distinguished contributions to crystallography and radioactivity"
1931[[File:Schuster Arthur signature.jpg75px]]"For his distinguished researches in optics and terrestrial magnetism"
1932[[File:Portrait of George Ellery Hale.jpg75px]]"For his distinguished work on the solar magnetic phenomena and for his eminence as a scientific engineer, especially in connexion with Mount Wilson Observatory"
1933[[File:Theobald Smith 2.jpg75px]]"For his original research and observation on diseases of animals and man"
1934[[File:John Scott Haldane 1910.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his discoveries in human physiology and of their application to medicine, mining, diving and engineering"
1935[[File:CTR Wilson.jpg75px]]"For his work on the use of clouds in advancing our knowledge of atoms and their properties"
1936[[File:SirArthurEvans.JPG75px]]"In recognition of his pioneer work in Crete, particularly his contributions to the history and civilization of its Minoan age"
1937[[File:Henry Dale nobel.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his important contributions to physiology and pharmacology, particularly in relation to the nervous and neuro-muscular systems"
1938[[File:Niels Bohr.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his distinguished work in the development of the quantum theory of atomic structure"
1939[[File:Thomas Hunt Morgan.jpg75px]]"For his establishment of the modern science of genetics which had revolutionized our understanding, not only of heredity, but of the mechanism and nature of evolution"
1940[[File:Langevin.jpg75px]]"For his pioneer work on the electron theory of magnetism, his fundamental contributions to discharge of electricity in gases, and his important work in many branches of theoretical physics"
1941[[File:Thomas Lewis (cardiologist).jpg75px]]"For his clinical and experimental investigations upon the mammalian heart"
1942[[File:Robert Robinson organic chemist.jpg75px]]"For his research work of outstanding originality and brilliance which has influenced the whole field of organic chemistry"
1943[[File:Joseph Barcroft c1940.jpg75px]]"For his distinguished work on respiration and the respiratory function of the blood"
1944"For his many contributions to aerodynamics, hydrodynamics, and the structure of metals, which have had a profound influence on the advance of physical science and its applications"
1945[[File:Oswald T. Avery portrait 1937.jpg75px]]"For his success in introducing chemical methods in the study of immunity against infective diseases"
1946[[File:Edgar Douglas Adrian nobel.jpg75px]]"For his distinguished researches on the fundamental nature of nervous activity, and recently on the localization of certain nervous functions"
1947[[File:Ghhardy@72.jpg75px]]"For his distinguished part in the development of mathematical analysis in England during the last thirty years"
1948[[File:Archibald Vivian Hill.jpg75px]]"For his distinguished researches on myothermal problems and on biophysical phenomena in nerve and other tissues"
1949[[File:George de Hevesy.jpg75px]]"For his distinguished work on the chemistry of radioactive elements and especially for his development of the radioactive tracer techniques in the investigation of biological processes"
1950[[File:James Chadwick.jpg75px]]"For his outstanding work in nuclear physics and in the development of atomic energy, especially for his discovery of the neutron"
1951[[File:David Keilin 1931.jpg75px]]"For his fundamental researches in the fields of protozoology, entomology and the biochemistry of enzymes"
1952[[File:Dirac 4.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his remarkable contributions to relativistic dynamics of a particle in quantum mechanics"
1953[[File:Dr. A.J. Kluyver, 1921.jpg75px]]"For his distinguished contributions of a fundamental character to the science of microbiology"—
1954[[File:Edmund Taylor Whitakker by Arthur Trevor Haddon.jpg75px]]"For his distinguished contributions to both pure and applied mathematics and to theoretical physics"
1955[[File:Youngronaldfisher2.JPG75px]]"In recognition of his numerous and distinguished contributions to developing the theory and application of statistics for making quantitative a vast field of biology"
1956[[File:Blackett-large.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his outstanding studies of cosmic ray showers and heavy mesons and in the field of palaeomagnetism"—
1957[[File:Howard Walter Florey 1945.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his distinguished contributions to experimental pathology and medicine"
1958[[File:John Edensor Littlewood.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his distinguished contributions to many branches of analysis, including Tauberian theory, the Riemann zeta function, and non-linear differential equations"
1959[[File:Burnet 2jpg.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his distinguished contributions to knowledge of viruses and of immunology"
1960"In recognition of his distinguished work in many branches of geophysics, and also in the theory of probability and astronomy"
1961[[File:Hans Adolf Krebs.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his distinguished contributions to biochemistry, in particular his work on the ornithine, tricarboxylic acid and glyoxylate cycles"
1962[[File:Cyril Norman Hinshelwood Nobel.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his distinguished researches in the field of chemical kinetics, including the study of biological reaction mechanisms, and of his outstanding contributions to natural philosophy"
1963[[File:Sir Paul Fildes by Sir (Samuel) Luke Fildes.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his pioneering contributions to bacteriology."—
1964[[File:Sydney Chapman.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his theoretical contributions to terrestrial and interplanetary magnetism, the ionosphere and the aurora borealis"
1965[[File:Alan Lloyd Hodgkin nobel.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his discovery of the mechanism of excitation and impulse conduction in nerve, and his outstanding leadership in the development of neurophysiology"—
1966[[File:Wl-bragg.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his distinguished contributions to the development of methods of structural determination by X-ray diffraction"
1967[[File:Sir Bernard Katz.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his distinguished contributions to knowledge of the fundamental processes involved in transmission across the neuromuscular junction"—
1968[[File:Thadeus Reichstein ETH-Bib Portr 10137.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his distinguished work on the chemistry of vitamin C and his authoritative studies of the cortico-steroids"—
1969[[File:Peter Brian Medawar.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his distinguished studies of tissue transplantation and immunological tolerance"
1970[[File:Alexander Todd Nobel.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his outstanding contributions to both the analytical and synthetic chemistry of natural products of diverse types"
1971[[File:No image.svg75px]]"In recognition of his distinguished contributions to biochemistry and especially for his elucidation of the nature of plant viruses"—
1972"In recognition of his original contributions over a long period to atomic and solid state physics"
1973[[File:Andrew Fielding Huxley nobel.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his outstanding studies on the mechanisms of the nerve impulse and of activation of muscular contraction"—
1974[[File:No image.svg75px]]"In recognition of his pioneering work in algebraic geometry, notably in his theory of harmonic integrals"
1975[[File:Francis Crick crop.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his elucidation of the structure of DNA and his continuing contribution to molecular biology"
1976[[File:Dorothy Hodgkin Nobel.jpg75px]]"In recognition of her outstanding work on the structures of complex molecules, particularly Penicillin, vitamin B12 and insulin"
1977[[File:Frederick Sanger2.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his distinguished work on the chemical structure of proteins and his studies on the sequences of nucleic acids"
1978[[File:Robert Woodward Nobel.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his masterly contributions to the synthesis of complex natural products and his discovery of the importance of orbital symmetry"
1979[[File:Max Perutz.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his distinguished contributions to molecular biology through his own studies of the structure and biological activity of haemoglobin and his leadership in the development of the subject"
1980[[File:No image.svg75px]]"In recognition of his distinguished contributions to a wide range of problems in structural and synthetic organic chemistry and, in particular, his introduction of conformational analysis into stereochemistry"
1981"In recognition of his distinguished contribution to biology in his formulation and development of the chemiosmotic theory of energy transduction"
1982[[File:John Cornforth 1975.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his distinguished research on the stereochemically-controlled synthesis and biosynthesis of biologically important molecules"
1983[[File:Rodney_Robert_Porter.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his elucidation of the structure of immunoglobulins and of the reactions involved in activating the complement system of proteins"—
1984[[File:Subrahmanyan_Chandrasekhar.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his distinguished work on theoretical physics, including stellar structure, theory of radiation, hydrodynamic stability and relativity"
1985[[File:Aaron Klug 1979.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his outstanding contributions to our understanding of complex biological structures and the methods used for determining them"—
1986[[File:Peierls,Rudolf 1966 Göttingen.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his fundamental contributions to a very wide range of theoretical physics, and signal advances in proposing the probable existence of nuclear chain reactions in fissile materials"—
1987"In recognition of his pioneering contributions to the understanding of the nature and mechanism of the main pathway of electron transport in photosynthesis"—
1988[[File:Michael Francis Atiyah.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his fundamental contributions to a wide range of topics in geometry, topology, analysis and theoretical physics"
1989[[File:Milstein lnp.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his outstanding contributions to immunology, in particular to the discovery of monoclonal antibodies and to the understanding of the role of somatic mutations in the maturation of the immune response"—
1990[[File:Abdus Salam 1987.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his work on the symmetries of the laws of nature, and especially the unification of the electromagnetic and weak forces"
1991[[File:EMLederberg GStent SBrenner JLederberg 1965 wiki.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his many contributions to molecular genetics and developmental biology, and his recent role in the Human Genome mapping project"—
1992[[File:George Porter Nobel.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his contributions to fundamental understanding of fast photochemical and photophysical processes and their role in chemistry and biology"
1993[[File:James D Watson.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his tireless pursuit of DNA, from the elucidation of its structure to the social and medical implications of the sequencing of the human genome"
1994"In recognition of his fundamental contribution to the theory of crystal morphology, in particular to the source of dislocations and their consequences in interfaces and crystal growth; to fundamental understanding of liquid crystals and the concept of disclination; and to the extension of crystallinity concepts to aperiodic crystals. He has also contributed through a variety of remarkable insights into a great number of physical problems"—
1995"In recognition of his contribution to animal virology with special emphasis on the pox and myxomatosis viruses and their relationship with the host in causing disease"—
1996[[File:No image.svg75px]]"In recognition of his contribution to the understanding of mechanical properties of materials and related topics through his pioneering studies on crystal plasticity, dislocation impurity interactions, fracture and irradiation effects"
1997[[File:No image.svg75px]]"In recognition of his pioneering work on the structure of muscle and on the molecular mechanisms of muscle contraction, providing solutions to one of the great problems in physiology"—
1998"In recognition of his profound contributions to many fields within fluid mechanics including important aspects of the interaction of sound and fluid flow and numerous other contributions which have had practical applications in aircraft engine design. He is noted also for his ground-breaking work on both external bio-fluid-dynamics – analysis of mechanisms of swimming and flying – and internal bio-fluid-dynamics, including flow in the cardiovascular system and the airways, and cochlear mechanics and other aspects of hearing"
1999[[File:John Maynard Smith.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his seminal contributions to evolutionary biology, including his experimental work on sexual selection, his important contributions to our understanding of ageing, his introduction of game theoretical methods for the analysis of complex evolutionary scenarios and his research into molecular evolution, both through his classic work on genetic hitchhiking, and with his more recent, ongoing work on bacterial population growth"
2000[[File:ARBOffice.jpg75px]]"In recognition of his pioneering work in elucidating the detailed biosynthetic pathways to all the major families of plant alkaloids. His approach, which stands as a paradigm for future biosynthetic studies on complex molecules, combines isolation work, structure determination, synthesis, isotopic labelling and spectroscopy, especially advanced NMR, as well as genetics and molecular biology. This spectacular research revealed the entire pathway to vitamin B12"—
2001[[File:No image.svg75px]]"For his work on the immunological function of the thymus and of T cells, which has revolutionised the science of immunology. Professor Millers work is paving the way for designing new methods to improve resistance to infections, producing new vaccines, enhancing graft survival, dealing with autoimmunity and even persuading the immune system to reject cancer cells"—
2002[[File:John Anthony Pople.png]]"For his development of computational methods in quantum chemistry. His work transformed density functional theory into a powerful theoretical tool for chemistry, chemical physics and biology"
2003[[File:John Gurdon Cambridge 2012.JPG75px]]"For his unique range of groundbreaking discoveries in the fields of cell and developmental biology. He pioneered the concept that specialised cells are genetically equivalent and that they differ only in the genes they express not the genes they contain, a concept fundamental to modern biology"—
2004[[File:Harold Kroto 1c389 8471.sweden.jpg75px]]"in recognition of his seminal contributions to understanding the fundamental dynamics of carbon chain molecules, leading to the detection of these species (polyynes) in the interstellar medium by radioastronomy, and thence to the genesis of a new era in carbon science"
2005[[File:Paul Nurse portrait.jpg75px]]"for his contributions to cell biology in general, and to the elucidation of the control of cell division."—
2006[[File:Stephen Hawking.StarChild.jpg75px]]"For his outstanding contribution to theoretical physics and theoretical cosmology. "
2007[[File:BobMayHarvard.jpg75px]]"for his seminal studies of interactions within and among biological populations that have reshaped our understanding of how species, communities and entire ecosystems respond to natural or human created disturbance."—
2008[[File:Roger Penrose-6Nov2005.jpg75px]]"for his beautiful and original insights into many areas of mathematics and mathematical physics. Sir Roger has made outstanding contributions to general relativity theory and cosmology, most notably for his work on black holes and the Big Bang."—
2009[[File:Martin Evans Nobel Prize.jpg75px]]"for his seminal work on embryonic stem cells in mice, which revolutionised the field of genetics."—
2010[[File:Nci-vol-8182-300 david cox.jpg75px]]"for his seminal contributions to the theory and applications of statistics."url=http://royalsociety.org/Awardstitle=Recent award winners 2010publisher=The Royal Societyaccess-date=2010-10-06quote="archive-date=2013-06-15archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130615004534/http://royalsociety.org/awards/url-status=live}}
[[File:Tomas_Lindahl_0113.jpg75px]]"for his seminal contributions to the understanding of the biochemistry of DNA repair."
2011[[File:No image.svg75px]]"For his seminal contributions to the understanding of geological and geophysical phenomena including tectonic plates."—
2012[[File:John Ernest Walker.jpg75px]]"For his ground-breaking work on bioenergetics, discovering the mechanism of ATP synthesis in the mitochondrion."title=John Walkerurl=https://royalsociety.org/people/john-walker-12475/publisher=The Royal Societyaccess-date=2012-09-06archive-date=2015-11-17archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117004849/https://royalsociety.org/people/john-walker-12475/url-status=live}}
2013[[File:Andre Geim 2010-1.jpg75px]]"For his numerous scientific contributions and, in particular, for initiating research on two‐dimensional atomic crystals and their artificial heterostructures."—
2014[[File:Alec Jeffreys.jpg75px]]"For his pioneering work on variation and mutation in the human genome."url=http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Sir-Alec-wins-science-s-oldest-prize/story-22074042-detail/story.htmlwork=Leicester Mercurytitle=Leicester University Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys wins science's oldest prizedate=5 August 2014access-date=5 August 2014archive-date=16 May 2015archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150516190048/http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Sir-Alec-wins-science-s-oldest-prize/story-22074042-detail/story.htmlurl-status=dead}}
2015[[File:Higgs, Peter (1929)3.jpg75px]]"For his fundamental contribution to particle physics with his theory explaining the origin of mass in elementary particles, confirmed by the experiments at the Large Hadron Collider."
2016[[File:Richard_Henderson_D81_4486_(38005042695).jpg75px]]"In recognition of his fundamental and revolutionary contributions to the development of electron microscopy of biological materials, enabling their atomic structures to be deduced."
2017[[File:Andrew wiles1-3.jpg75px]]"For his beautiful and unexpected proof of Fermat's Last Theorem which is one of the most important mathematical achievements of the 20th century."
2018[[File:No image.svg75px]]"For his contributions to understanding the role of gut microbial communities to human health and disease."
2019[[File:John B. Goodenough (cropped).jpgalt=75px]]"In recognition of his exceptional contributions to the science and technology of materials, including his discovery that led to rechargeable lithium batteries."
2020[[File:Alan Fersht.jpgalt=89x89px]]"He has developed and applied the methods of protein engineering to provide descriptions of protein folding pathways at atomic resolution, revolutionising our understanding of these processes."
2021[[File:Launch of IYA 2009, Paris - Grygar, Bell Burnell cropped.jpgalt=75px]]"for her work on the discovery of pulsars, one of the major astronomical discoveries of the 20th century"
2022[[File:Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine AZD1222 - 4.jpgalt=75px]]Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaccine Team"for rapidly developing and deploying a COVID-19 vaccine."
2023[[File:Official portrait of Lord Rees of Ludlow crop 2.jpgalt=75px]]"for being arguably the most distinguished theoretical astrophysicist of his generation, responsible for numerous and varied conceptual breakthroughs, with influence spreading far beyond the specialist academic community."
2024[[File:Gregory Winter, 2016 (cropped).jpgalt=75px]]"for pioneering protein engineering, especially antibody engineering for the successful production of therapeutic antibodies."
2025[[File:John Pendry 2014b.jpg75px]]"for work on the concept and designs of metamaterials that represent the greatest advance in electromagnetism since Faraday and Maxwell."

References

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  38. Hamilton, William. (1770). "An Account of a Journey to Mount Etna, in a Letter from the Honourable William Hamilton, His Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary at Naples, to Mathew Maty, M. D. Sec. R. S.". Philosophical Transactions.
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  40. Raper, Matthew. (1771). "An Inquiry into the Value of the Ancient Greek and Roman Money: By Matthew Raper, Esq; F. R. S.". Philosophical Transactions.
  41. (2004). "Berkshire History: Biographies: Lieut-Col. John Walsh (1726–1795)". Nash Ford Publishing.
  42. "Maskelyne biography". University of St Andrews.
  43. "Stephen Hawking wins Copley Medal". [[Trinity Hall, Cambridge]].
  44. "Hutton summary". University of St Andrews.
  45. (1780). "An Investigation of the Principles of Progressive and Rotatory Motion. By the Rev. S. Vince, A. M. of Sidney College, Cambridge. Communicated by George Atwood, A. M. F. R. S.". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London.
  46. "Digital Collections – Manuscripts – Item 15a – 15z, 15(1) – 15(20): Addresses to the Royal Society, London the first on being appointed to the Chair and later addresses on presentations of the Copley Medal, 1778–1796.". [[National Library of Australia]].
  47. "Friedrich William Herschel". [[Florida State University]].
  48. "Waring summary". University of St Andrews.
  49. "William Roy". Electric Scotland.
  50. "John Hunter: 'Founder of Scientific Surgery' – HemOnc Today". HemOnc Today.
  51. (2004). "Oxford DNB article:Blagden, Charles (subscription needed)".
  52. (2004). "Oxford DNB article:Morgan, William (subscription needed)".
  53. "Copley Medal ". The Royal Society.
  54. (2004). "Oxford DNB article: Thompson, Sir Benjamin (subscription needed)".
  55. "Ramsden summary". University of St Andrews.
  56. "Attwood summary". University of St Andrews.
  57. (2004). "Oxford DNB article:Hatchett, Charles (subscription needed)".
  58. "British Society for the History of Mathematics". [[University of Warwick]].
  59. Sears, Derek. "Edward Charles Howard". University of Arkansas.
  60. "Cooper, Sir Astley Paston (1768–1841)". Aim25.
  61. "Wollaston". [[Hebrew University of Jerusalem]].
  62. Griffith, WP. "PMR: Bicentenary of Four Platinum Group Metals". Platinum Metals Review.
  63. Griffith, WP. "PMR: Bicentenary of Four Platinum Group Metals". Platinum Metals Review.
  64. Darrow, GM. "Early Breeding in Europe". [[United States National Agricultural Library]].
  65. "Troughton Summary". University of St Andrews.
  66. Buchanan, W.W.. (2003). "Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie (1783–1862)". British Society for Rheumatology.
  67. "Ivory summary". University of St Andrews.
  68. "Sir David Brewster (1781–1868)". University of St Andrews.
  69. "Henry Kater (1777–1835), Scientist". National Portrait Gallery.
  70. (2007). "Hans Christian Ørsted and the Romantic Legacy in Science". [[SpringerLink]].
  71. "Herschel summary". University of St Andrews.
  72. "William Buckland & Reliquae Diluvianae". [[University of Minnesota]].
  73. "The British Society for the History of Mathematics". The British Society for the History of Mathematics.
  74. "Arago summary". University of St Andrews.
  75. "Lake County Astronomical Society". Lake County Astronomical Society.
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  77. "Airy summary". University of St Andrews.
  78. "Poisson summary". University of St Andrews.
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  80. "Chambers Search Chambers". [[Chambers Harrap]].
  81. "Gauss summary". [[University of St Andrews]].
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  83. Brock, William H.. (2002). "Justus Von Liebig: The Chemical Gatekeeper". [[Cambridge University Press]].
  84. "Sturm summary". University of St Andrews.
  85. "Ohm biography". University of St Andrews.
  86. "MacCullagh summary". University of St Andrews.
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  88. "Le Verrier biography". University of St Andrews.
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  91. (2005). "Own, Richard: Encyclopedia of Life Sciences". [[Wiley InterScience]].
  92. "Humboldt – Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander – von – 1769–1859 – Baron – German naturalist, geologist and explorer". [[University of Edinburgh]].
  93. "BjS: Academic Lineage". [[Yale University]].
  94. "Weber summary". University of St Andrews.
  95. "Darwin and the Copley Medal". [[American Philosophical Society]].
  96. "Adam Sedgwick Collection". American Philosophical Society.
  97. "Chasles summary". University of St Andrews.
  98. "Plucker summary". University of St Andrews.
  99. "Helmholtz summary". University of St Andrews.
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  101. "Jean Baptiste Boussingault". [[Journal of Nutrition]].
  102. "Clausius summary". University of St Andrews.
  103. "Sylvester summary". University of St Andrews.
  104. "Cayley summary". University of St Andrews.
  105. "Thompson summary". University of St Andrews.
  106. "Neumann_Franz summary". University of St Andrews.
  107. "Salmon summary". University of St Andrews.
  108. "Newcomb summary". University of St Andrews.
  109. "Stokes summary". University of St Andrews.
  110. "Sir Edward Frankland, English chemist, c 1863–1883.". [[Science and Society Picture Library]].
  111. "Weierstrass summary". University of St Andrews.
  112. "Rayleigh summary". University of St Andrews.
  113. "Gibbs summary". University of St Andrews.
  114. (2004). "Oxford DNB theme: Holders of the Copley Medal". Oxford University Press.
  115. "Klein summary". University of St Andrews.
  116. "Obituary: Edwin Ray Lankester". National Marine Biological Laboratory.
  117. "Notes and Records of the Royal Society". Royal Society Publishing.
  118. "Obituary notice: Horace Tabberer Brown". Biochemical Journal.
  119. "Larmour summary". University of St Andrews.
  120. "Lamb summary". University of St Andrews.
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  122. "Sir Charles Sherrington – Biography". Nobel Foundation.
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  125. (1935). "Sir Arthur Schuster". The Astrophysical Journal.
  126. "George Ellery Hale: Acknowledgements". [[Franklin Institute]].
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  128. (2004). "Oxford DNB article: Haldane, John Scott (subscription needed)".
  129. "C.T.R.Wilson – Biography". Nobel Foundation.
  130. (1941). "Sir Arthur Evans, F.R.S: Abstract". Nature.
  131. "Sir Henry Dale – Biography". Nobel Foundation.
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  136. "Sir Robert Robinson – Biography". nobelprize.org.
  137. (2000). "Sir Joseph Barcroft of Cambridge". Archives of Disease in Childhood.
  138. "Taylor_Geoffrey summay". University of St Andrews.
  139. "The Oswald T. Avery Collection: Biographical Information". [[United States National Library of Medicine]].
  140. (2004). "Oxford DNB article:Adrian, Edgar Douglas (subscription needed)".
  141. "Hardy summary". University of St Andrews.
  142. (2004). "Oxford DNB article:Hill, Archibald Vivian (subscription needed)".
  143. (1949). "Royal Society: Anniversary Address By Sir Robert Robinson, O.M., F.R.S". Nature.
  144. (2004). "Oxford DNB article:Chadwick, James (subscription needed)".
  145. (2004). "Oxford DNB article:Keilin, David (subscription needed)".
  146. (2004). "Oxford DNB article:Dirac, Paul(subscription needed)".
  147. "Whittaker summary". University of St Andrews.
  148. "Fisher summary". University of St Andrews.
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  150. "Littlewood summary". University of St Andrews.
  151. "Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnet – Biography". nobelprize.org.
  152. "Jeffreys summary". University of St Andrews.
  153. "Sir Hans Adolf Krebs". nobel-winners.com.
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  155. (2004). "Oxford DNB article:Chapman, Sydney (subscription needed)".
  156. "Hodge summary". University of St Andrews.
  157. "Emeritus Professor Sir John Cornforth – Alumni & Friends". [[University of Sydney]].
  158. "Chandrasekhar biography". University of St Andrews.
  159. "Atiyah biography". University of St Andrews.
  160. (2004). "Oxford DNB article:Salam, Abdus (subscription needed)".
  161. (2004). "Oxford DNB article:Porter, George (subscription needed)".
  162. "Copley Medal". The Royal Society.
  163. "MRS Website: Award Presentations". [[Materials Research Society]].
  164. "Lighthill summary". University of St Andrews.
  165. "John Maynard Smith January 6, 1920 – April 19, 2004". [[Genetics (journal).
  166. "Obituary: John A. Pople". The Observer.
  167. "FSU highlights". [[Florida State University]].
  168. "Recent award winners 2010". The Royal Society.
  169. "John Walker". The Royal Society.
  170. (5 August 2014). "Leicester University Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys wins science's oldest prize". Leicester Mercury.
  171. "Copley Medal 2015".
  172. "Copley Medal 2016".
  173. "Andrew Wiles". The Royal Society.
  174. "Copley Medal 2018".
  175. "Copley Medal 2019".
  176. "Medals and awards winners 2020".
  177. "Medal and award winners 2021".
  178. "The Royal Society announces this year's medal and award winners".
  179. "Medal winner 2023".
  180. [https://royalsociety.org/medals-and-prizes/copley-medal/ Copley Medal 2024]
  181. [https://royalsociety.org/medals-and-prizes/copley-medal/ Copley Medal 2025]
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