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Events on Tuesday 24 December 1872 1
1820 – 1872William John Macquorn Rankine (1820-1872)Died 24 December 1872, aged 52William John Macquorn Rankine was a Scottish engineer and physicist who was a founding contributor to the science of thermodynamics. He developed the Rankine cycle and the Rankine temperature scale, both still used in engineering.