Who was Wilhelm Rontgen? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

German Celebrities Born In March

Also Known As: Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen

Died At Age: 77

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Anna Bertha Ludwig

children: Josephine Bertha Ludwig

Born Country: Germany

Mechanical Engineers German Men

Died on: February 10, 1923

place of death: Munich, Germany

Grouping of People: Nobel Laureates in Physics

Notable Alumni: ETH Zurich, University Of Giessen, University Of Zurich

Cause of Death: Colorectal Cancer

Ancestry: Dutch German

: Epithelial Cell Cancer

discoveries/inventions: Discovered X-Rays

More Facts

education: University Of Zurich, ETH Zurich, University Of Giessen

awards: 1901 - Nobel Prize in Physics
1897 - Elliott Cresson Medal
1896 - Matteucci Medal
1896 - Rumford Medal

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1

When did Wilhelm Rontgen discover X-rays?

Wilhelm Rontgen discovered X-rays on November 8, 1895.
2

What was the significance of Wilhelm Rontgen's discovery of X-rays?

Wilhelm Rontgen's discovery of X-rays revolutionized the fields of medicine and science by providing a new way to see inside the human body without invasive procedures.
3

Where was Wilhelm Rontgen when he discovered X-rays?

Wilhelm Rontgen was in his laboratory at the University of Wurzburg in Germany when he discovered X-rays.
4

How did Wilhelm Rontgen's discovery of X-rays impact the medical field?

Wilhelm Rontgen's discovery of X-rays led to the development of medical imaging techniques such as X-ray radiography, which greatly improved the diagnosis and treatment of various medical conditions.
5

What did Wilhelm Rontgen name the new form of radiation he discovered?

Wilhelm Rontgen named the new form of radiation he discovered "X-rays" due to their unknown nature at the time.

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Childhood & Early Life

He was born on March 27, 1845, in Lennep, Germany to Friedrich Conrad Roentgen, a textile merchant and his wife, Charlotte Constanze Frowein. He was their only child.

He received his primary and secondary education in the public schools of Apeldoorn and at a private boarding school in Middelann.

In 1862, he was enrolled at the Utrecht Technical School but was expelled after some time on account of a childish mischief which involved drawing a caricature of an unpopular teacher of the school.

In 1865, he was authorized to attend the University of Utrecht but as an irregular student. Despite the fact that he took classes on various subjects including analysis, physics and chemistry, he did not seem to focus towards becoming a regular student.

When it came to his knowledge that he could be admitted to the Federal Polytechnic Institute in Zurich, he instantly applied for it and passed its examinations. Thus, he began studying mechanical engineering and received his diploma in 1868.

After graduating, he attended the University of Zurich and obtained his Ph.D. in physics in 1869. In the university, he became a favorite student of Professor August Kundt.

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Career

After completing his doctoral degree, he was asked by Kundt to be his assistant and he accepted the post. Next year, he traveled with Kundt to the University of Wurzburg and afterwards to the University of Strassburg where Kundt served as a lecturer.

In 1874, he received his first official academic appointment when he became a privatdozent at the University of Strassburg. Next year, he was appointed a professor of physics at the Hohenheim Agricultural Academy.

In 1876, he returned to the University of Strassburg as an associate professor of physics. In 1879, he was appointed to the chair of physics at the University of Giessen, a post he served until 1888. In 1888, he returned to the University of Wurzburg to take a joint appointment as professor of physics. He made the discovery of the Roentgen rays during his professorship at the Wurzburg University. He published a total of three papers on X-rays between 1895 and 1897.

In 1900, he was appointed at the physics chair at the University of Munich, by the special request of the Bavarian government. He served in Munich for the rest of his career until his retirement in 1920.

Major Works

His most significant work is, undoubtedly, the discovery of X-rays, a form of electromagnetic radiations which are emitted when matter is bombarded with fast electrons. While conducting an experiment on cathode rays, electric current was passed through gases at extremely low pressure through a well-covered discharge tube, and he observed an illumination of barium platinocyanide covered screen, placed near the apparatus. He also discovered that the rays were capable of exposing a photographic plate and through this knowledge, he developed the image of his wife's hand and analyzed the variable transparency as showed by her bones, flesh and her wedding ring. Subsequently, he named it ‘X-rays’ and stated that they are produced by the impact of cathode rays on material objects.

Awards & Achievements

In 1896, he was awarded the Rumford Medal and Matteucci Medal along with Philipp Lenard. They received it for their investigations of the phenomena produced outside a highly exhausted tube through which an electrical discharge was taking place.

In 1897, he received the ‘Elliott Cresson Medal’ for his discovery of X-rays.

In 1900, he was honored with the ‘Barnard Medal’ of Columbia University.

In 1901, he became the first person to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in recognition of the extraordinary services he rendered by the discovery of the remarkable rays, subsequently named after him, Roentgen rays or X-rays.

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In 1919, he became the recipient of prestigious ‘Helmholtz Medal’.

In 2004, IUPAC named element number 111 ‘Roentgenium (Rg)’ in his honor.

Personal Life & Legacy

In 1872, he married Anna Bertha Ludwig, whom he met in Zurich; she was the daughter of a German revolutionary who had emigrated to Switzerland. They had no children of their own. In 1887, they adopted Anna’s six-year old niece, Josephine Bertha Ludwig.

He died on February 10, 1923 in Munich, Germany due to carcinoma of the intestine. His remains were buried in Alter Friedhof, Giessen, Germany. In keeping with his will, all his personal and scientific correspondence was destroyed upon his death.

Facts About Wilhelm Rontgen

Wilhelm Rontgen was known to have a quirky sense of humor and often played practical jokes on his colleagues and friends.

He had a deep love for animals and would often bring his pet dogs to work with him in the laboratory.

Rontgen had a passion for music and was an accomplished violinist, often entertaining his colleagues with impromptu performances.

He had a fascination with photography and often experimented with capturing unusual images using early photographic techniques.

Rontgen had a penchant for collecting unusual and rare artifacts from around the world, which he displayed in his home and laboratory.

Wilhelm Rontgen Biography

You wanted to know

When did Wilhelm Rontgen discover X-rays?

What was the significance of Wilhelm Rontgen's discovery of X-rays?

Where was Wilhelm Rontgen when he discovered X-rays?

How did Wilhelm Rontgen's discovery of X-rays impact the medical field?

What did Wilhelm Rontgen name the new form of radiation he discovered?