Niels Bohr

Niels Bohr Photo: Deutsches Museum, Munich

Niels Bohr was born on October 7, 1885, in Copenhagen. His father, the well-known physiologist, Christian Bohr and his mother, daughter of a rich, Jewish banker, offered Niels all possibilities. He and his younger brother, Harald, (who later became a mathematician) were enthusiastic athletes (soccer) in their youth. The two excelled in high school and soon surpassed their classmates, thus being considered geniuses.

In 1903, Niels commenced his studies at the Copenhagen University in physics, mathematics and astronomy. In addition, he attended courses in chemistry and philosophy. In 1905, he won a competition from the Academy of Sciences relating to fluid jets and surface tensions. He was able conduct the experiments for this in the laboratory of his father.

In 1911, he completed his studies with a thesis on the electron theory of metals. He traveled for one year to England and worked with J. J. Thomson in Cambridge and with Rutherford in Manchester.

In 1912, he married Margrethe Norlund. She bore five sons altogether, the firstborn, Christian, died in a sailing accident in 1934.

Starting from 1912, he was first an assistant in Copenhagen, then from 1916, a professor for physics. He was occupied with the structure of the atom until his mid 20s. In 1922, he received the Nobel Prize for physics. He later worked on theoretical problems of nuclear physics.

In 1943, Bohr had to flee with his family to America. There, he cooperated in the nuclear fission program. Bohr died on November 18, 1962, in Copenhagen.