Who led the team of scientists who first split the atom?

Splitting the atom was a monumental achievement in physics, marking a turning point in our understanding of matter and energy. This breakthrough wasn't the work of a single person, but rather a team of scientists. The scientist who led this team was Ernest Rutherford. Rutherford was a New Zealand-born British physicist who is considered the father of nuclear physics. In 1917, Rutherford directed experiments involving bombarding nitrogen gas with alpha particles. These experiments led to the discovery that the nucleus of an atom could be split, releasing protons. This was the first time anyone had successfully transmuted one element into another. While Ernst Chain and Howard Florey were crucial in developing penicillin, and Robert Walpole was the first Prime Minister of Great Britain, they had nothing to do with splitting the atom. Rutherford's leadership and his team's work paved the way for future discoveries in nuclear energy and particle physics, making him a pivotal figure in scientific history.