Final answer:
Ernest Rutherford is famous for the nuclear theory of the atom and the gold-foil experiment, which led to the discovery of the atomic nucleus.
Step-by-step explanation:
The individual well known for his nuclear theory of the atom and the renowned gold-foil experiment is Ernest Rutherford. In 1911, Rutherford, along with his colleagues Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden, carried out groundbreaking experiments by bombarding a very thin piece of gold foil with fast-moving alpha particles. These alpha particles were positively charged and came from the radioactive decay of radium. Their observations led to the surprising discovery that most alpha particles passed through the foil but some were deflected at large angles, leading Rutherford to propose that the atom had a small, dense, positively charged nucleus, which was a major advancement from previous atomic models.