The document summarizes the development of atomic structure models over time. It describes J.J. Thomson's discovery of the electron in 1897 using cathode ray tubes, leading him to propose the "plum pudding" model where electrons were embedded in a uniform positive charge. Rutherford's gold foil experiment in 1913 found that most alpha particles passed through, but a few were deflected at sharp angles, causing him to realize atoms have a small, dense nucleus at the center. Later scientists like Millikan and Rutherford further refined atomic structure, showing atoms have a nucleus of protons and neutrons surrounded by electrons.