Physics
Wilhelm Röntgen
Physicist, first Nobel Prize in Physics 1901 for discovering X-rays
Born 1845 · Died 1923
Photo: Erwin Hanfstaengl · Public domain
Wilhelm Röntgen discovered X-rays in 1895 and within weeks doctors were using them to find bullets and broken bones. He refused to patent the discovery, saying it belonged to humanity, and received the first Nobel Prize in Physics.
Key achievements
- Discovered X-rays in 1895 and refused to patent them
- First Nobel Prize in Physics ever awarded, 1901
Universities
Zurich
Took a diploma in mechanical engineering in 1868 after being expelled from a Dutch school for a prank he did not commit.
Facts
- The first X-ray image published was of his wife's hand, and on seeing it she said she had seen her own death.
- He was expelled from school for refusing to name the classmate who drew a caricature of a teacher, which nearly ended his education.
- He donated his Nobel Prize money to his university and died in near poverty after post-war inflation.
Photographs
Photographs come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences; the author and licence are shown on each image.