Hughes Medal

A medal awarded by the Royal Society for outstanding contributions to the understanding or application of electricity and magnetism, particularly through discoveries of major practical or scientific importance. Established in 1902 in memory of the physicist and inventor David Edward Hughes, it was first awarded to Joseph John Thomson. Twentieth-century recipients included Guglielmo Marconi, Ernest Rutherford, Alexander Fleming, Alan Turing, and Stephen Hawking. It continues to be awarded annually.