Thomas Young (13 June 1773 – 10 May 1829) was an English
polymath and
physician. Young made notable scientific contributions to the fields of
vision, light,
solid mechanics, energy,
physiology,
language,
musical harmony, and
Egyptology. He "made a number of original and insightful innovations" in the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs (specifically the
Rosetta Stone) before
Jean-François Champollion eventually expanded on his work. He was mentioned by, among others,
William Herschel,
Hermann von Helmholtz,
James Clerk Maxwell, and
Albert Einstein. Young has been described as "The Last Man Who Knew Everything".