The medal was first given to J. J. Thomson in 1902 `` for his numerous contributions to electric science , especially in reference to the phenomena of electric discharge in gases '' , and has been awarded 105 more times .
The medal was first awarded in 1902 to J. J. Thomson `` for his numerous contributions to electric science , especially in reference to the phenomena of electric discharge in gases '' , and has since been awarded 105 times .