Physics Nobel Laureates 1901

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (Kungl. Vetenskapsakademien) is responsible for deciding about the anual award of the Nobel price. The first Nobel prize in physics was awarded to Wilhelm Röntgen in 1901.

Physics 1901

The first Nobel Prize was awarded to:

RÖNTGEN, WILHELM CONRAD, Germany, Munich University, * 1845, + 1923:

"in recognition of the extraordinary services he has rendered by the discovery of the remarkable rays subsequently named after him".

Physics 1902

The prize was awarded jointly to:

LORENTZ, HENDRIK ANTOON, the Netherlands, Leyden University, * 1853, + 1928; and

ZEEMAN, PIETER, the Netherlands, Amsterdam University, * 1865, + 1943:

"in recognition of the extraordinary service they rendered by their researches into the influence of magnetism upon radiation phenomena".

Physics 1903

The prize was divided, one half being awarded to:

BECQUEREL, ANTOINE HENRI, France, École Polytechnique, Paris, * 1852, + 1908:

"in recognition of the extraordinary services he has rendered by his discovery of spontaneous radioactivity";

the other half jointly to:

CURIE, PIERRE, France, École municipale de physique et de chimie industrielles, (Municipal School of IndustrialPhysics and Chemistry), Paris, * 1859, + 1906; and his wife

CURIE, MARIE, née SKLODOWSKA, France, * 1867 (in Warsaw, Poland), + 1934:

"in recognition of the extraordinary services they have rendered by their joint researches on the radiation phenomena discovered by Professor Henri Becquerel".

Physics 1904

RAYLEIGH, Lord (JOHN WILLIAM STRUTT), Great Britain, Royal Institution of Great Britain, London, * 1842, + 1919:

"for his investigations of the densities of the most important gases and for his discovery of argon in connection with these studies".

Physics 1905

LENARD, PHILIPP EDUARD ANTON, Germany, Kiel University, * 1862 (in Pressburg, then Hungary), + 1947:

"for his work on cathode rays".

Physics 1906

THOMSON, Sir JOSEPH JOHN, Great Britain, Cambridge University, * 1856, + 1940:

"in recognition of the great merits of his theoretical and experimental investigations on the conduction of electricity by gases".

Physics 1907

MICHELSON, ALBERT ABRAHAM , U.S.A., Chicago University, * 1852 (in Strelno, then Germany), + 1931:

"for his optical precision instruments and the spectroscopic and metrological investigations carried out with their aid".

Physics 1908

LIPPMANN, GABRIEL, France, Sorbonne University, Paris,* 1845 (in Hollerich, Luxembourg), + 1921:

"for his method of reproducing colours photographically based on the phenomenon of interference".

Physics 1909

The prize was awarded jointly to:

MARCONI, GUGLIELMO, Italy, Marconi Wireless Telegraph Co. Ltd., London, Great Britain, * 1874, +1937; and

BRAUN, CARL FERDINAND, Germany, Strasbourg University, Alsace (then Germany), * 1850, + 1918:

"in recognition of their contributions to the development of wireless telegraphy".

Physics 1910

VAN DER WAALS, JOHANNES DIDERIK, the Netherlands, Amsterdam University, * 1837, + 1923:

"for his work on the equation of state for gases and liquids".

Physics 1911

WIEN, WILHELM, Germany, Würzburg University, * 1864, + 1928:

"for his discoveries regarding the laws governing the radiation of heat".

Physics 1912

DALÉN, NILS GUSTAF, Sweden, Swedish Gas-Accumulator Co., Lidingö-Stockholm, * 1869, + 1937:

"for his invention of automatic regulators for use in conjunction with gas accumulators for illuminating lighthouses and buoys".

Physics 1913

KAMERLINGH-ONNES, HEIKE, the Netherlands, Leyden University * 1853, + 1926:

"for his investigations on the properties of matter at low temperatures which led, inter alia to the production of liquid helium".

Physics 1914

VON LAUE, MAX, Germany, Frankfurt-on-the Main University, * 1879, + 1960:

"for his discovery of the diffraction of X-rays by crystals".

Physics 1915

The prize was awarded jointly to:

BRAGG, Sir WILLIAM HENRY, Great Britain, London University, * 1862, + 1942; and his son

BRAGG, Sir WILLIAM LAWRENCE, Great Britain, Victoria University, Manchester, * 1890 (in Adelaide, Australia), + 1971:

"for their services in the analysis of crystal structure by means of X-rays".

Physics 1916

Reserved.

Physics 1917

The prize money for 1916 was allocated to the Special Fund of this prize section.

The prize for 1917: Reserved.

Physics 1918

The prize for 1917:

BARKLA, CHARLES GLOVER, Great Britain, Edinburgh University, * 1877, + 1944:

"for his discovery of the characteristic Röntgen radiation of the elements".

The prize for 1918: Reserved.

Physics 1919

The prize for 1918:

PLANCK, MAX KARL ERNST LUDWIG, Germany, Berlin University, * 1858, + 1947:

"in recognition of the services he rendered to the advancement of Physics by his discovery of energy quanta".

The prize for 1919:

STARK, JOHANNES, Germany, Greifswald University, * 1874, + 1957:

"for his discovery of the Doppler effect in canal rays and the splitting of spectral lines in electric fields".

Physics 1920

GUILLAUME, CHARLES EDOUARD, Switzerland, Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (International Bureau of Weights and Measures), Sèvres, * 1861, + 1938:

"in recognition of the service he has rendered to precision measurements in Physics by his discovery of anomalies in nickel steel alloys".

Physics 1921

Reserved.

Physics 1922

The prize for 1921:

EINSTEIN, ALBERT , Germany and Switzerland, Kaiser-Wilhelm Institut (now Max-Planck-Institut) für Physik, Berlin, * 1879, + 1955:

"for his services to Theoretical Physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect".
(biography)

The prize for 1922:

BOHR, NIELS, Denmark, Copenhagen University, * 1885, + 1962:

"for his services in the investigation of the structure of atoms and of the radiation emanating from them".

Physics 1923

MILLIKAN, ROBERT ANDREWS, U.S.A., California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, * 1868, + 1953:

"for his work on the elementary charge of electricity and on the photoelectric effect".

Physics 1924

Reserved.