Armand-Hippolyte-Louis Fizeau was a French physicist best known
for being the first to develop a reliable experimental method of
determining the speed of light on the Earth. Previously, the
speed of light was measured based upon astronomical phenomena.
Fizeau was born in Paris on September 23, 1819. His father was a
distinguished physician and professor of medicine during the
Restoration period and, when he died, he left his son
independently wealthy. The freedom from pecuniary concerns
enabled Fizeau to pursue whatever interested him, which was
primarily scientific research. He attended Stanislas College in
Paris and initially intended to earn a medical degree, but
changed his mind because of ill health. Instead, Fizeau spent
time traveling before returning to study with Francois Arago at
the Paris Observatory. In 1839, Fizeau became engrossed with the
new daguerreotype photography and was approached by Jean-
Bernard-Leon Foucault about his efforts to increase its
permanency. Each being intrigued by the other