# Samuel Pierpont Langley

> He invented the bolometer and ran the Smithsonian, but the attention comes from being an aviation pioneer who nearly got there first — before the Wright brothers made him a footnote.

*American physicist, pioneer of aviation, and 3rd Secretary of the Smithsonian (1834-1906)*

**Canonical URL:** https://fame.am/person/samuel-pierpont-langley

## Identity
- **Profile type:** Scientist ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q39631))
- **Category:** Scientists
- **Country:** United States
- **Born:** 1834-08-22
- **Died:** 1906-02-27
- **Status:** deceased
- **Gender:** male

## Bio

Samuel Pierpont Langley was born August 22, 1834, and became a professor of astronomy at the University of Pittsburgh, where he directed the Allegheny Observatory. He invented the bolometer, a device for measuring radiant energy, and rose to become the third secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. His work as an aviation pioneer placed him at the center of early flight experiments in an era when powered heavier-than-air machines seemed impossible. He died February 27, 1906, a physicist and astronomer whose name survives in the shadow of those who flew days after his attempts failed.

## Fame
- **Popularity score:** 53.6 / 100
- **Momentum:** 0.4 / 100  (trend: STABLE)
- **Historical depth:** 23.2 / 100
- **Now attention:** 2.1 / 100
- **Source confidence:** 60.0 / 100
- **Profile completeness:** 70.0 / 100

## Topics
#Scientists, #Scientist, #Astronomy, #Physics, #Science, #United States, #Americas, #19th Century

## Sources
- [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Pierpont_Langley)
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q357961)
- [Pantheon 2.0](https://pantheon.world/profile/person/Samuel%20Pierpont%20Langley)
- [صموئيل لانجلى بيربونت](https://arz.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B5%D9%85%D9%88%D8%A6%D9%8A%D9%84_%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AC%D9%84%D9%89_%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%88%D9%86%D8%AA)
- [স্যামুয়েল পিয়েরপন্ট ল্যাংলি](https://bn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BC%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B2_%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BC%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%9F_%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%82%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BF)
- [Samuel Pierpont Langley](https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Pierpont_Langley)
- [Samuel Pierpont Langley](https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Pierpont_Langley)
- [Samuel Pierpont Langley](https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Pierpont_Langley)
- [Samuel Pierpont Langley](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Pierpont_Langley)
- [Σάμιουελ Πίρποντ Λάνγκλεϊ](https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%A3%CE%AC%CE%BC%CE%B9%CE%BF%CF%85%CE%B5%CE%BB_%CE%A0%CE%AF%CF%81%CF%80%CE%BF%CE%BD%CF%84_%CE%9B%CE%AC%CE%BD%CE%B3%CE%BA%CE%BB%CE%B5%CF%8A)
- [Samuel Langley](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Langley)
- [Samuel Langley](https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Langley)
- [Samuel Langley](https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Langley)
- [Samuel Pierpont Langley](https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Pierpont_Langley)
- [ساموئل پیرپونت لانگلی](https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%88%D8%A6%D9%84_%D9%BE%DB%8C%D8%B1%D9%BE%D9%88%D9%86%D8%AA_%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%86%DA%AF%D9%84%DB%8C)
- [Samuel Pierpont Langley](https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Pierpont_Langley)
- [Samuel Pierpont Langley](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Pierpont_Langley)
- [Samuel Pierpont Langley](https://ga.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Pierpont_Langley)
- [סמואל לאנגלי](https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A1%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%90%D7%9C_%D7%9C%D7%90%D7%A0%D7%92%D7%9C%D7%99)
- [Samuel Pierpont Langley](https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Pierpont_Langley)
- [Samuel Pierpont Langley](https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Pierpont_Langley)
- [サミュエル・ラングレー](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B5%E3%83%9F%E3%83%A5%E3%82%A8%E3%83%AB%E3%83%BB%E3%83%A9%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B0%E3%83%AC%E3%83%BC)
- [새뮤얼 피어폰트 랭글리](https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EC%83%88%EB%AE%A4%EC%96%BC_%ED%94%BC%EC%96%B4%ED%8F%B0%ED%8A%B8_%EB%9E%AD%EA%B8%80%EB%A6%AC)
- [Samuel Pierpont Langley](https://mg.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Pierpont_Langley)
- [Samuel Pierpont Langley](https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Pierpont_Langley)
- [Samuel Langley](https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Langley)
- [Wikiquote](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Samuel_Langley)
- [Samuel Langley](https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Langley)
- [صموئيل لانغلي بيربونت](https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B5%D9%85%D9%88%D8%A6%D9%8A%D9%84_%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%BA%D9%84%D9%8A_%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%88%D9%86%D8%AA)

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