Events in Physics
The Copley Medal is the Society鈥檚 oldest and most prestigious award. The medal is now awarded annually for outstanding achievements in research in any branch of science. The award alternates between the physical and biological sciences (odd and even years respectively).
First awarded in 1731 following donations from Godfrey Copley FRS (PDF), it was initially awarded for the most important scientific discovery or for the greatest contribution made by experiment. The Copley Medal is thought to be the world's oldest scientific prize and it was awarded 170 years before the first Nobel Prize. Notable winners include Benjamin Franklin, Dorothy Hodgkin, Albert Einstein and Charles Darwin