U.S. President Trump's inauguration address incorrectly attributed the achievement of splitting the atom to Americans, sparking reactions from New Zealanders. Ernest Rutherford, a Nobel Prize-winning scientist from New Zealand, is acknowledged as the first to split the atom artificially in 1917, along with others in subsequent years. New Zealand officials, including Nelson's mayor, called for recognition of Rutherford's contributions and criticized the inaccuracy of Trump's claims, emphasizing the importance of historical accuracy concerning scientific achievements.
Rutherford's groundbreaking research on radio communication and radioactivity were done at Cambridge and Manchester Universities in the UK and McGill University in Montreal, Canada.
Smith said he would invite the next U.S. ambassador to New Zealand to visit Rutherford's birthplace memorial to maintain the historical accuracy on who split the atom first.
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