Physics: 1911

Wien, Wilhelm, pronounced veen, VIHL hehlm (1864-1928), a German physicist, made important discoveries on the heat radiated by what he called a black body--an object that entirely absorbs all radiations. Wien attempted to find a formula for the composition of the radiation of a black body, which resulted in 1896 in the formula of Wien. Scientists later proved that this formula was only applicable to short waves, but Wien's work later helped German physicist Max Planck in his work on the problem of black body radiation, and his formulation of the quantum theory, which revolutionized physics. Wien also contributed to the study of cathode rays and X rays. He was awarded the 1911 Nobel Prize for physics.

Wilhem Carl Werner Otto Fritz Franz Wien was born in Fischhausen, in East Prussia. Fischhausen is now named Primorsk, and lies in Russia. In 1882, he briefly went to the University of Gottingen and then to the University of Berlin. He took his doctorate in 1886 and gained his first professorship at Aix-la-Chapelle (Aachen), Germany, in 1896. In 1899, Wien became professor of physics at the University of Giessen, and in 1920, at Munich University.