1916 Born 4 March in Tamworth, UK

1920-33 Primary and secondary education in Kettlebrook, Glascote and Tamworth. Winner of a scholarship to Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School.

1934-36 Bachelor of Science degree at Birmingham University.

1937 Class 1 Honours degree, Birmingham University.

1938 Master of Science Degree at Birmingham University with a university scholarship.

1939 Diploma in Education. Head of the year and awarded the Elizabeth Cadbury Prize, Birmingham.

1939-43 Research Officer, British Admiralty working on radar.

1941 Ph.D. in physics, Birmingham University

1943-47 Member of the British Scientific Mission in the USA working on the development of the first nuclear weapons.

1945 Senior member of the timing group responsible for firing the firs nuclear weapon at Alamagordo, New Mexico, in July

1946 Chief Adviser on Instrumentation to the Task Force Commander at the Bikini Nuclear Weapons Tests

1946-47 Head of the Electronics Division, Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, New Mexico

1947-50 Group Leader in charge of Nuclear Emulsion and Cloud Chamber Research at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment (AERE), Harwell

1950 Appointed Foundation Professor to the Chair of Nuclear Physics at the Australian National University (ANU) in August

1952 Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and Sciences of London Fellow of the American Physical Society

1954 Elected as one of the earliest Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science

1954-56 Deputy Chairman of the Australian Atomic Weapons Tests Safety Committee

1955-64 Member of the Australian Atomic Energy Commission's Scientific Advisory Committee

1957-? Chairman of the Australian Atomic Weapons Tests Safety Committee

1957-? Member of the Council of the Institute of Defence Science, Department of Supply

1958-? Member of the Federal Government's Defence Research and Development Policy Committee

1959 Appointed Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George

1960-84 Member of the Council of the Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering

1961 President, Section A (Physics and Mathematics) of ANZAAS Brisbane Meeing

1964-66 Vice-President and member of the Council of the Australian Academy of Science

1965-72 Vice-President, Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Energy

1966-68 Dean of Research School of Physical Sciences

1967-81 Member of the Advisory Committee of the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, ANU

1968 President, Section A (Physics and Mathematics) of ANZAAS Christchurch Meeting

1968-73 Director of Research School of Physical Sciences

1970 Knighthood

1973-74 President, Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering

1973-81 Professor of Nuclear Physics

1978-84 Member of Council of Macquarie University

1981 Retired in December, but continued as a Visiting Fellow in the Department of Nuclear Physics

1986 Divorced

1987 Seriously injured in a car accident

1990 Died on 8 February. Survived by his former wife and three children