John Milne served as a British geologist and mining engineer during the latter half of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century. Born on 30 December 1850, he dedicated his professional career to geological research and engineering work, whilst also developing significant expertise in seismology through his pioneering work on horizontal seismograph technology. His contributions to the field of earth sciences helped advance understanding of seismic activity during a formative period for the discipline.

Throughout his career until his death on 31 July 1913, Milne combined his geological and engineering knowledge with his technical innovations in measuring earthquakes. His work on the horizontal seismograph represented an important development in scientific instrumentation for monitoring and studying seismic events. He writes commentary on geological matters, natural hazards policy, and scientific innovation for Comment Central.