Physicists from both New Zealand and Britain have been credited with splitting the atom — but there is consensus that it was not an American.

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. [embed https://www.facebook.com/honnicksmith/posts/pfbid02ndf7Lsz8sizpqQXLgCcRrmE9iAYs7tWmqkYPVFh6LmhUyDGMHuVYMRZixXMv1xfcl

U.S. President Donald Trump’s declaration in an inauguration speech that Americans “split the atom” prompted vexed social media posts on Tuesday by New Zealanders, who said the achievement belonged to