President Donald Trump raises his fist after being sworn in as the 47th President. Photo: AFP/SAUL LOEB
The Mayor of Nelson has fact-checked newly sworn-in US President Donald Trump's claim an American split the atom.
The atom was first split by Kiwi Sir Ernest Rutherford, originally from Nelson, in 1917 at Victoria University of Manchester in England.
But during Trump's inauguration speech, he used it as an example while he listed off a number of historical accomplishments made by the United States.
"Americans pushed thousands of miles through a rugged land of untamed wilderness, they crossed deserts, scaled mountains, braved untold dangers, won the Wild West, ended slavery, rescued millions from tyranny, lifted billions from poverty, harnessed electricity, split the atom, launched mankind into the heavens and put the universe of human knowledge into the palm of the human hand," Trump said.
Nelson Mayor Nick Smith said on social media he was "surprised" to hear Trump making claims about the atom in his inauguration speech.
"That honour belongs to Nelson's most famous and favourite son Sir Ernest Rutherford.
"Rutherford's ground breaking research on radio communication, radioactivity, the structure of the atom and ultra sound technology were done at Cambridge and Manchester Universities in the UK and McGill University in Montreal Canada ( not part of the USA - yet)."
He added: "Nelson is a bit put out that President Trump in his inaugural speech has claimed that as part of American greatness, they split the atom.
"We are very parochial about Ernest Rutherford who was born, bred and educated in this community and went on to split the atom with amazing research 100 years ago, both in the United Kingdom and Canada.
"We just want to put the record of history correct. I do not want to see the achievement of Ernest Rutherford as the father of nuclear physics, being watered down in any way.
"Nelsonians and New Zealanders should be very proud of Ernest Rutherford's achievement in 1917 in being the first to split the atom and we just need to politely remind Americans of that."
Rutherford, who died in the 1930s, was awarded a Nobel Prize in chemistry. His portrait has appeared on the New Zealand $100 note since 1992.
When Trump has appointed a US ambassador to New Zealand, Smith said he will invite them to Nelson to visit the Lord Rutherford Memorial in Brightwater.
Smith said he would do so to "keep the historic record on who split the atom first accurate."
During Trump's inauguration speech he spoke about "rescuing" America from what he described as years of betrayal and decline and said it was the start of "the golden age".
He said he would be prioritising cracking down on illegal immigration, rolling back clean energy initiatives and would make the US a "free, sovereign and independent nation".
Trump also reiterated his intention to change the Gulf of Mexico's name to the Gulf of America.
