This Month in Science History – Scientists Born in April
Science is constantly evolving, helping us understand the world better. Throughout history, some of the greatest inventors and scientists were born in April. Their contributions to the field of science have changed the way we understand and perceive the world. But most importantly, they inspire us to strive for better, question more, and trust our instincts to reach our goals.
Here are a few famous scientists born in the month of April
Sophie Germain
Birthday: April 1, 1776
Birthplace: France
Fields: Mathematics, Physics, and Philosophy
Trivia: Germain’s work on Fermat’s Last Theorem laid a foundation for other mathematicians who were exploring the subject for years.
Honours: Germain was the first woman to win the Mathematics Prize awarded by the French Academy of Prizes.
Known for: Her notable contribution to the study of acoustics, number and elasticity theories.
Ananda Mohan Chakrabarty
Birthday: April 4, 1938
Birthplace: India
Fields: Microbiology
Trivia: In 2008, Chakrabarty co-founded his second bio-pharmaceutical company called Amrita Therapeutics to develop therapies and vaccines to treat cancer.
Honours: Scientist of the Year Award by the Industrial Research Organisation of the United States (1975), Golden Eurydice Award (2007) and Padma Shri (2007).
Known for: Chakrabarty’s remarkable role in genetically engineering a new species of Pseudomonas bacteria (oil-eating bacteria) in 1971 opened gates to the world of genetics and nuclei.
Robert Burns Woodward
Birthday: April 10, 1917
Birthplace: United States of America
Fields: Organic Chemistry
Trivia: Woodward worked closely with Roald Hoffmann in synthesising vitamin B-12 and formulated the Woodward-Hoffmann Rules.
Honours: ForMemRs (1956), Davy Medal (1959), National Medal of Science (1964), Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1965), Willard Gibbs Award (1967), and Copley Medal (1978).
Known for: Woodward is known for organic synthesising of cholesterol and chlorophyll, Woodward cis-hydroxylation, and molecular structure determination.
Leonardo da Vinci
Birthday: April 15, 1452
Birthplace: Italy
Fields: Renaissance art, music and architecture, Mathematics and Science
Trivia: Known as the greatest painters of all time, Vinci painted the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, and the iconic Vitruvian Man.
Honours: Though he didn’t receive any awards during his lifetime, the Leonardo da Vinci Award was established by the Rotary Club of Florence in 1975 to honour outstanding young people in the field of science, technology, literature, and the arts.
Known for: Vinci is recognised as the father of palaeontology, ichnology, and architecture. His sketches of the flying machine and other scientific futuristic technologies often credit him with the invention of the parachute, and helicopter
Carl Friedrich Gauss
Birthday: April 30, 1777
Birthplace: Germany
Fields: Mathematics, physics, astronomy, and writing
Trivia: When Gauss was just 21 years old, he wrote a book on number theory called the Disquisitiones Arithmeticae. For this, he was nicknamed as “Princeps mathematicoru” and “greatest mathematician since antiquity”
Honours: Lalande Prize (1809) and Copley Medal (1838)
Known for: Gauss is known for his contributions to the field of mathematics and science. His gave the world the Gauss Law for Magnetism and degaussing.
So, which scientist do you share your birthday with?
Do tell us about your favorite scientists and how they have inspired you.
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