Faces of Nuclear

Get to know the people that made nuclear possible

Explore the faces behind the breakthroughs that defined the nuclear age with this striking collection of portraits. This gallery celebrates the pioneers and visionaries whose groundbreaking contributions shaped the field of nuclear science. From the trailblazers of atomic theory to the architects of nuclear energy and the Nobel laureates who expanded our understanding of the universe, these influential figures represent a legacy of discovery, innovation, and profound impact. Each portrait is a tribute to their achievements, offering a glimpse into the lives and minds of those who forever changed science, history, and humanity’s relationship with power. Step into their world.

Maria Salomea Skłodowska-Curie

Marie Curie received a Nobel Prize for her pioneering research on radioactivity. She later won a second Nobel Prize for the discovery of polonium and radium.

Sir Arthur Stanley Eddington

Arthur Eddington theorised the process of nuclear fusion in stars, by which hydrogen atoms fuse into helium.

Dmitri Dmitrievich Ivanenko

Dmitri Ivanenko proposed that electrons were not part of the atomic nucleus, consisting instead purely of protons and neutrons.

Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein is possibly the most famous scientist to ever live. He is most well known for discovering the equivalence between mass and energy. He was also awarded the Nobel Prize in physics for the discovery of the photoelectric effect.

Friedrich Wilhelm Strassmann

Friedrich Strassmann provided critical evidence for the process of nuclear fission, by observing the presence of barium after bombarding uranium with neutrons.

Johannes Wilhelm "Hans" Geiger

Hans Geiger is best known for his participation in Rutherford's scattering experiments, and the invention of the detector used in Geiger-Müller counters.

Irène Joliot-Curie

Irène Joliot-Curie, daughter of Marie Curie, received a Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of induced radioactivity.

Sir James Chadwick

James Chadwick was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics for his discovery of the neutron, and was head of the British team supporting the Manhattan Project.

Jean Frédéric Joliot-Curie

Frédéric Joliot-Curie, husband of Irène Joliot-Curie, received a Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of induced radioactivity.

Otto Hahn

Otto Hahn was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics for the discovery of nuclear fission.

Elise Meitner

Lise Meitner was responsible for the discovery of protactinium and was a key contributor to the discovery of nuclear fission.

Antoine Henri Becquerel

Henri Becquerel is credited with the discovery of radioactivity, earning him a Nobel Prize in physics.

Pierre Curie

Pierre Curie, husband of Marie Curie, received a Nobel Prize for his work on radioactivity, alongside his wife and Henri Becquerel.

Sir Ernest Rutherford

Ernest Rutherford is most well known for his gold foil experiment which resulted in a new model for the structure of the atom. He made contributions to a wide range of atomic and nuclear physics and was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry.

Sir Joseph John Thomson

J.J. Thomson discovered the first subatomic particle; the electron. He received a Nobel Prize for his work on the conduction of electricity in gases.

Sir Rudolf Ernst Peierls

Rudolf Peierls, along with Otto Robert Frisch, were the first to propose the possibility of an atomic fission weapon using small quantities of uranium.

Julius Robert Oppenheimer

J. Robert Oppenheimer was pivotal to the Manhattan Project in his role as director. He oversaw the development of the world's first nuclear weapon.

Igor Vasilyevich Kurchatov

Igor Kurchatov oversaw the Soviet nuclear weapons program, and is credited with having significant influence on Russia's modern nuclear industry.

Enrico Fermi

Enrico Fermi is best known as the creator of the world's first nuclear reactor. He was also awarded a Nobel Prize in physics for his work on induced radioactivity.

Werner Karl Heisenberg

Werner Heisenberg is best known for the discovery of the uncertainty principle. He was also a major figure in the Nazi nuclear weapons program. He received a Nobel Prize in physics for his pioneering work on quantum mechanics.

Arthur Holly Compton

Arthur Compton discovered the particle nature of electromagnetic radiation, and received a Nobel Prize in physics for his effort.

Hans Albrecht Bethe

Hans Bethe made major contributions to nuclear physics, served as head of the Theoretical Division at Los Alamos during WW2, and received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1967.

Eugene Paul Wigner

Eugene Wigner contributed to the development of the theory of the atomic nucleus and elementary particles, receiving the Nobel Prize in Physics for his efforts.

John von Neumann

John von Neumann developed the mathematical models for the explosive lenses used in implosion type nuclear weapons. He would later become a member of the Atomic Energy Commission overseeing atomic energy development in the US.

Leo Szilard

Leo Szilard invented the electron microscope, cyclotron, and linear accelerator. He also theorised the nuclear chain reaction, which he later demonstrated by working on the creation of Chicago Pile-1.

Emilio Gino Segrè

Emilio Segrè discovered the first artificially synthesized element; technetium, followed by discoveries of astatine and plutonium-239. He also discovered the antiproton earning him a Nobel Prize in physics.

Glenn Theodore Seaborg

Glenn T. Seaborg worked extensively on the synthesis, discovery, and investigation of transuranium elements, receiving a Nobel Prize in chemistry. He also developed the concept of the actinide series in the periodic table of elements.

Images

Marie Curie – Henri Manuel – Public Domain

Arthur Stanley Eddington – George Grantham Bain Collection – Public Domain

Albert Einstein – Ferdinand Schmutzer – Public Domain

Fritz Strassmann – Unknown Author – Fair Use

Hans Geiger – Unknown Author – Public Domain

James Chadwick – Los Alamos National Laboratory – Free Use

Joliot-Fred – Nobel Foundation – Public Domain

Otto Hahn – Basch, […] / Opdracht Anefo – CC BY-SA 3.0 NL

Hahn and Meitner in 1912 – Unknown author – Public Domain

Henri Becquerel – Paul Nadar – Public Domain

Pierre Curie – Mme P. Curie – Public Domain

Sir Ernest Rutherford – Bain News Service – Public Domain

Sir J.J. Thomson – Bain News Service – Public Domain

Peierls,Rudolf 1966 Göttingen – GFHund – CC BY 3.0

Oppenheimer Los Alamos portrait – Los Alamos National Laboratory – Free Use

Igor Kurchatov – Unknown author – Public Domain

Enrico Fermi – Department of Energy-Office of Public Affairs – Public Domain

Werner Heisenberg – Unknown author –CC BY-SA 3.0 DE

Arthur Compton – Unknown author – Public Domain

Hans Bethe – Los Alamos National Laboratory – Free Use

Eugene Paul Wigner – Nobel foundation – Public Domain

John von Neumann – LANL – Free Use

Leo Szilard – Unknown Photographer – CC BY-SA 3.0

Emilio Segrè – Nobel foundation – Public Domain

Glenn Seaborg – Atomic Energy Commission – Public Domain

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