John Dalton first proposed the atomic theory in 1803, suggesting that matter is composed of atoms. However, his theory could not explain why atoms of different elements have different properties. J.J. Thomson's 1897 cathode ray experiment discovered the electron and proposed the "plum pudding" model of the atom, but this failed to explain the atom's stability. In 1911, experiments proved the existence of positively charged particles called alpha particles at the center of atoms. This led to Rutherford's 1913 model of the atom as a small, dense nucleus surrounded by electrons in orbits, though questions remained about electron stability. In 1932, James Chadwick discovered the neutron, an uncharged particle in the atomic nucleus, helping explain nuclear stability.