In 1925, German physicist and philosopher Werner Heisenberg discovered a way to convert quantum mechanics into a matrix. He goes by the name Werner Karl Heisenberg. He passed away in Munich, West Germany, on February 1, 1976. On December 5, 1901, he was born in Würzburg, Germany. In recognition of that discovery, he received the … Read more
William Thomson, Baron Kelvin, in full William Thomson, Baron Kelvin of Largs, also called (1866–92) Sir William Thomson, (born June 26, 1824, Belfast, County Antrim, Ireland [now in Northern Ireland]—died December 17, 1907, Netherhall, near Largs, Ayrshire, Scotland), Scottish engineer, mathematician, and physicist who profoundly influenced the scientific thought of his generation. Thomson, who was knighted and raised to the peerage … Read more
Archimedes, (born c. 287 BCE, Syracuse, Sicily [Italy]—died 212/211 BCE, Syracuse), the most famous mathematician and inventor in ancient Greece. Archimedes is especially important for his discovery of the relation between the surface and volume of a sphere and its circumscribing cylinder. He is known for his formulation of a hydrostatic principle (known as Archimedes’ principle) and a device for raising water, still used, known as … Read more
John von Neumann, original name János Neumann, (born December 28, 1903, Budapest, Hungary—died February 8, 1957, Washington, D.C., U.S.), Hungarian-born American mathematician. As an adult, he appended von to his surname; the hereditary title had been granted his father in 1913. Von Neumann grew from child prodigy to one of the world’s foremost mathematicians by his mid-twenties. Important work in set theory inaugurated … Read more
Galileo, in full Galileo Galilei, (born February 15, 1564, Pisa [Italy]—died January 8, 1642, Arcetri, near Florence), Italian natural philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician who made fundamental contributions to the sciences of motion, astronomy, and strength of materials and to the development of the scientific method. His formulation of (circular) inertia, the law of falling bodies, and parabolic trajectories marked the beginning of a fundamental change … Read more
Antoine Lavoisier, in full Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier, (born August 26, 1743, Paris, France—died May 8, 1794, Paris), prominent French chemist and leading figure in the 18th-century chemical revolution who developed an experimentally based theory of the chemical reactivity of oxygen and coauthored the modern system for naming chemical substances. Having also served as a leading financier and public administrator before the French … Read more
Art and Culture Born in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, on October 6, 1887, and dying in Cap Martin, France, on August 27, 1965, Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known by his pen name Le Corbusier, was a well-known Swiss architect and urban planner. In his works, he combines a brazen sculptural expressionism with modernist functionalism. His numerous writings … Read more
Louis Pasteur, (born December 27, 1822, Dole, France—died September 28, 1895, Saint-Cloud), French chemist and microbiologist who was one of the most important founders of medical microbiology. Pasteur’s contributions to science, technology, and medicine are nearly without precedent. He pioneered the study of molecular asymmetry; discovered that microorganisms cause fermentation and disease; originated the process of pasteurization; saved the beer, wine, and silk industries in France; and developed vaccines against anthrax and rabies. Pasteur’s academic positions were numerous, … Read more
Henry Ford was born on July 30, 1863, in Wayne County, Michigan, U.S. S. —died April 7, 1947, Dearborn, Michigan), an American industrialist who popularized assembly-line manufacturing. Type T Ford made news for the majority of his life, whether it was good or bad. FThe man known for his technological prowess and status as a … Read more
Hermann von Helmholtz, original name Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand Helmholtz, (born August 31, 1821, Potsdam, Prussia [Germany]—died September 8, 1894, Charlottenburg, Berlin, Germany), German scientist and philosopher who made fundamental contributions to physiology, optics, electrodynamics, mathematics, and meteorology. He is best known for his statement of the law of the conservation of energy. He brought to his laboratory researach the ability to analyze … Read more