Photons were the first sub-atomic particles detected, but not quite discovered as they could not be explained. Photons were first detected by Johann Wilhelm Ritter, Victor Schumann, and Winhelm Rontgen. The next, and first sub-atomic particle discovered, was the electron. The electron was discovered by J. J. Thompson in the late 1800s. The next two sub-atomic particle discoveries were the alpha particle and photon, discovered by Ernest Rutherford and Paul Villard respectively. Rutherford also discovered the proton and in 1932, James Chadwick discovered the neutron.