Bakerian Medal

A medal of the Royal Society, established in 1775 in memory of Henry Baker, a Fellow who left money to the Society. It is awarded to the author of the most distinguished Bakerian Lecture, the Society’s principal lecture in the physical sciences. From the nineteenth century onwards it recognised important contributions to physics, including work by Michael Faraday, James Prescott Joule, James Clerk Maxwell, and Lord Kelvin. The medal continues to be awarded annually.