Michael Faraday was born on September 22, 1791, in Newington Butts, which is now part of South London.¹⁾

Faraday came from a poor family; his father was a blacksmith.²⁾

Faraday received only a basic education and learned to read and write at a local church Sunday school.³⁾

At the age of 14, Faraday was apprenticed to a local bookbinder and bookseller, George Riebau.⁴⁾

During his apprenticeship, Faraday developed a keen interest in science by reading books that came into the shop.⁵⁾

One of the books that greatly influenced him was “The Improvement of the Mind” by Isaac Watts.⁶⁾

Faraday attended lectures by the renowned chemist Humphry Davy at the Royal Institution, which sparked his interest in chemistry and physics.⁷⁾

Faraday sent Davy a 300-page book of notes that he had taken during his lectures, which led to Davy hiring him as his assistant.⁸⁾

Faraday began working at the Royal Institution in 1813, initially as a chemical assistant.⁹⁾