X-RAY DISCOVERY DAY: Wilhelm Roentgen, a German professor of physics, was the first person to discover electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength range commonly known as X-rays today. He was born on March 27, 1845 in the small town of Lennep (Rhine Province) in Germany. In 1865, he studied mechanical engineering at the Federal Polytechnic Institute in Zurich. He graduated from the University of Zurich and received his Ph.D. in 1869. Roentgen was already working on the effects of cathode rays during 1895, before he actually discovered X-rays. His experiments involved the passing of electric current through gases at extremely low pressure. On November 8, 1895 while he was experimenting, he observed that certain rays were emitted during the passing of the current through discharge tube. His discovery revolutionized the entire medical profession and set foundation for diagnostic radiology. In 1901, Roentgen received the first ever Nobel Prize in Physics. This was a true acknowledgement of his remarkable discovery which was going to be highly beneficial for mankind in the coming years. He died on February 10, 1923 in Munich at the age of 77.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Nov 2014 11:00:00 +0000
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