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Nuclear Physics Timeline

Records in the Physics collection relating to nuclear structure, nuclear reactions, fission, fusion and nuclear research.

96 records1898–2013

About this Nuclear Physics timeline

Explore nuclear structure, radioactivity, neutron physics, fission, fusion and the experimental programmes that transformed twentieth-century physics.

This page contains 96 records spanning 1898–2013. Frequently represented countries include United States of America, Italy, Great Britain, Germany, Russia. Example event labels include Birth of Leo Szilard, Birth of Heinz Maier-Leibnitz, German Nuclear Physicist Born, Moseley Law, Proton as Nuclear Charge Carrier.

Physicists frequently represented in these records

Enrico Fermi18 matching records Leo Szilard4 matching records Robert Oppenheimer4 matching records Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov4 matching records Aage Niels Bohr4 matching records James Chadwick3 matching records

Timeline records

Date	Person	Event	Place	Description
1898	Leo Szilard	Birth of Leo Szilard	Hungary	Birth of Leo Szilard, researched nuclear fission
28 March 1911	Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Nuclear Physicist	Birth of Heinz Maier-Leibnitz	Esslingen, Germany	Heinz Maier-Leibnitz is born in Esslingen.
28 March 1911	Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Nuclear Physicist	German Nuclear Physicist Born	Esslingen, Germany	The future German nuclear physicist and research leader is born.
1913	Henry Gwyn Jeffreys Moseley Physicist	Moseley Law	Oxford, Great Britain	Establishes a precise relationship between characteristic X-ray frequencies and the nuclear charge associated with each element.
1919	Ernest Rutherford Physicist	Proton as Nuclear Charge Carrier	Cambridge, Great Britain	Identifies the hydrogen nucleus as a fundamental positive particle, helping connect atomic number with the positive charge of the atomic nucleus.
3 June 1920	Ernest Rutherford Physicist	Neutral Nuclear Particle Proposal	Cambridge, New Zealand	Suggests that a neutral proton-electron combination could exist inside atomic nuclei, anticipating the neutron.
1927	Enrico Fermi Professor	Rome Physics Group Formation	Rome, Italy	Builds a collaborative group of young physicists in Rome that later becomes famous for major advances in nuclear and particle physics.
1931	Enrico Fermi Professor	Rome Nuclear Physics Shift	Rome, Italy	Begins shifting the focus of his research group from atomic spectroscopy toward the emerging problems of nuclear physics.
June 1932	James Chadwick Physicist	The Existence of a Neutron	Cambridge, Great Britain	Publishes a fuller experimental account establishing the neutron as a distinct nuclear particle.
1932	James Chadwick Physicist	Discovery of Neutron	Cambridge, Great Britain	Discovers the neutron, clarifying nuclear structure and explaining how isotopes of the same element can share an atomic number while differing in mass.
1932	Enrico Fermi Professor	Neutron Physics Programme	Rome, Italy	Recognizes the importance of the newly discovered neutron and starts directing increasing attention toward neutron-induced nuclear processes.
1932	Werner Heisenberg Physicist	Proton-Neutron Nuclear Model	Leipzig, Germany	Develops a nuclear model treating protons and neutrons as the principal constituents of atomic nuclei.
1932	Dmitri Ivanenko Physicist	Nuclear Proton-Neutron Model	Leningrad, Russia	Proposes that atomic nuclei are composed of protons and neutrons rather than nuclear electrons.
12 September 1933	Leo Szilard Physicist	Neutron Chain Reaction Concept	London, Hungary	Conceives a neutron-driven nuclear chain reaction after reading about Rutherford comments on atomic energy.
1933	Friedrich Hund Physicist	Leipzig Theoretical Physics	Leipzig, Germany	Helps make Leipzig an international centre for theoretical and nuclear physics.
October 1934	Enrico Fermi Physicist	Slow Neutron Enhancement	Rome, Italy	Discovers with his Rome group that slowing neutrons with hydrogen-rich material such as paraffin greatly increases their effectiveness in producing nuclear reactions.
1934	Enrico Fermi Physicist	Beta Decay Electron Theory	Rome, Italy	Develops a quantitative theory of beta decay in which an electron and a neutrino are created during a weak nuclear transformation.
1934	Enrico Fermi Physicist	Neutron Irradiation of Elements	Rome, Italy	Leads the Rome group in exposing a wide range of elements to neutrons and cataloguing the radioactive products created by nuclear transformations.
1934	Enrico Fermi Physicist	Slow Neutron Theory Interpretation	Rome, Italy	Interprets the enhanced effectiveness of moderated neutrons as a consequence of their reduced speed and greater probability of nuclear capture.
1934	Ida Noddack Physicist	Fission Hypothesis	Berlin, Italy	Suggests uranium nuclei might break into large fragments.
1934	Leo Szilard Physicist	Neutron Chain Reaction Patent	London, Hungary	Files patent claims describing neutron multiplication and a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction.
1935	James Chadwick Physicist	Nobel Prize	Stockholm, Great Britain	Receives the Nobel Prize in Physics for discovering the neutron, a neutral nuclear particle fundamental to understanding atomic nuclei.
1935	Enrico Fermi Professor	Neutron Physics Consolidation	Rome, Italy	Consolidates the Rome group's results on neutron-induced reactions and establishes slow-neutron methods as a major tool of experimental nuclear physics.
1935	Enrico Fermi Professor	Nobel Prize Nomination	Rome, Italy	Receives nominations for the Nobel Prize in Physics as international recognition of his neutron and nuclear research grows.
1935	Werner Heisenberg Physicist	Nuclear Physics Research	Leipzig, Germany	Continues nuclear and quantum research at Leipzig with students from several countries.
1936	Niels Bohr Physicist	Compound Nucleus Theory	Copenhagen, Denmark	Develops the compound-nucleus picture used to understand neutron capture and nuclear reactions.
1936	Niels Henrik David Bohr Theoretical Physicist	Nuclear Reaction Theory	Copenhagen, Denmark	Provides a framework for explaining many nuclear reactions and resonance effects.
1936	Gregory Breit Physicist	Neutron Resonance Formula	United States of America, United States of America	With Eugene Wigner, formulates resonance theory for neutron-induced nuclear reactions.
1937	Luis Walter Alvarez Physicist	Nuclear K-Electron Capture Observed	Berkeley, United States of America	Provides the first experimental demonstration of nuclear K-electron capture by detecting characteristic X-rays following the capture of an orbital electron.
1937	Marietta Blau Nuclear Physicist	Nuclear Disintegration Stars	Hafelekar, Austria	Records cosmic-ray nuclear reactions as star-shaped tracks in photographic emulsions.
1937	Marietta Blau Nuclear Physicist	Photographic Nuclear Emulsions	Hafelekar, Austria	Demonstrates a powerful photographic method for detecting high-energy particle interactions.
December 1938	Lise Meitner Physicist	Nuclear Fission	Kungalv, Austria	Interprets uranium splitting as nuclear fission.
1938	Enrico Fermi	Nobel Prize	Stockholm, Italy	Receives the Nobel Prize in Physics for demonstrating neutron-induced radioactivity and for discoveries concerning nuclear reactions produced by slow neutrons.
16 January 1939	Otto Robert Frisch Physicist	Nuclear Fission	Copenhagen, Austria	Confirms uranium fission experimentally with Meitne
January 1939	Niels Bohr Physicist	Fission Theory	Washington, Denmark	Carries news of uranium fission to the United States.
January 1939	Otto Robert Frisch Physicist	Term Nuclear Fission	Copenhagen, Austria	Introduces the term nuclear fission while explaining the splitting of uranium nuclei with Lise Meitner.
11 February 1939	Lise Meitner Physicist	Fission Energy Interpretation	Sweden, Germany	With Otto Frisch, explains uranium fission and estimates the large energy release using mass-energy equivalence.
1939	Niels Bohr Physicist	Uranium Fission Theory	Princeton, Denmark	With John Wheeler, develops a theoretical account of nuclear fission and isotope-dependent neutron behaviour.
1939	Enrico Fermi Physicist	Columbia Uranium Neutron Experiments	New York, Italy	Conducts neutron experiments on uranium at Columbia University while investigating whether a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction could be achieved.
1939	Enrico Fermi Physicist	Recognition of Chain Reaction Possibility	New York, Italy	Recognizes that uranium fission can release secondary neutrons and therefore may permit a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction.
1939	Frederic Joliot-Curie Physicist	Nuclear Fission Research	Paris, France	Studies neutron multiplication after the discovery of nuclear fission.
1939	John Archibald Wheeler Physicist	Fission Theory	Princeton, United States of America	Works with Bohr on the theory of nuclear fission.
1939	John Archibald Wheeler Physicist	Fission Theory with Bohr	Princeton, United States of America	With Niels Bohr, develops a liquid-drop description of fission and neutron-induced uranium reactions.
February 1940	Alfred Nier Physicist	Uranium-235 Separation	Minnesota, United States of America	Separates uranium-235 for early fission measurements.
March 1940	John R. Dunning Physicist	Uranium-235 Fission	New York, United States of America	Shows uranium-235 is responsible for slow-neutron fission.
6 December 1941	Vannevar Bush	Manhattan Project	Washington, United States of America	Vannevar Bush holds a meeting to organize an accelerated research project, managed by Arthur Compton, Harold Urey develops research into gaseous diffusion as uranium enrichment & Ernest Lawrence investigates separation methods
6 December 1941	Ernest Lawrence	Manhattan Project	Washington, United States of America	Vannevar Bush holds a meeting to organize an accelerated research project, managed by Arthur Compton, Harold Urey develops research into gaseous diffusion as uranium enrichment & Ernest Lawrence investigates separation methods
July 1942	Robert Oppenheimer	Manhattan Project	United States of America	Robert Oppenheimer convenes a summer conference at the University of California, Berkeley to discuss the design of a fission bomb, Edward Teller brings up the possibility of a hydrogen bomb as a major point of discussion
July 1942	Edward Teller	Manhattan Project	Hungary	Robert Oppenheimer convenes a summer conference at the University of California, Berkeley to discuss the design of a fission bomb, Edward Teller brings up the possibility of a hydrogen bomb as a major point of discussion
2 December 1942	Leo Szilard	First Nuclear Chain Reaction	Chicago, Hungary	A uranium and graphite pile achieves the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction.
1942	—	Uranium Enrichment Methods	Oak Ridge, United States of America	The Manhattan Project commits to parallel development of electromagnetic and gaseous-diffusion methods for large-scale uranium isotope separation.
1942	Berta Karlik Nuclear Physicist	Element 85 in Nature	Vienna, Austria	Provides evidence that element 85 exists naturally in trace quantities.
1942	Berta Karlik Nuclear Physicist	Natural Astatine Detection	Vienna, Austria	Co-detects naturally occurring astatine in uranium decay products.
1942	Nicholas Kurti	Manhattan Project	Oxford, Great Britain	Simon and Kurti develop gaseous-diffusion methods for separating uranium-235.
1942	Nicholas Kurti	Oxford University	Oxford, Great Britain	Simon and Kurti develop gaseous-diffusion methods for separating uranium-235.
1942	Franz Simon	Manhattan Project	Oxford, Great Britain	Simon and Kurti develop gaseous-diffusion methods for separating uranium-235.
1942	Franz Simon	Oxford University	Oxford, Great Britain	Simon and Kurti develop gaseous-diffusion methods for separating uranium-235.
April 1943	Hans Albrecht Bethe	Theoretical Division Leadership	Los Alamos, Germany	Bethe is selected to head the Los Alamos Theoretical Division, which develops calculations needed for fission-weapon design.
24 June 1943	Emilio Gino Segre	Cyclotron Plutonium Fission Rate	Los Alamos, Italy	Using cyclotron-produced plutonium, Segre measures a spontaneous-fission rate low enough to keep the plutonium gun concept viable at this stage.
10 July 1943	Robert Oppenheimer	First Los Alamos Nuclear Physics Experiment	Los Alamos, United States of America	Los Alamos begins its first nuclear-physics experiment, measuring plutonium-239 fission-neutron yield and marking the laboratory's transition into active experimental work.
December 1943	Emilio Gino Segre	Uranium-235 Spontaneous Fission Measurement	Los Alamos, Italy	Segre measures a lower-than-expected spontaneous-fission rate for uranium-235, easing design requirements for the uranium gun weapon.
1943	Mark Oliphant Physicist	Manhattan Project	Birmingham, Great Britain	Moves from Birmingham nuclear research into Allied atomic bomb work.
15 April 1944	Emilio Gino Segre	Reactor Plutonium High Fission Rate	Los Alamos, Italy	Measurements of reactor-produced plutonium show a spontaneous-fission rate far above expectations because of plutonium-240 contamination, threatening the gun method.
1944	Emilio Segre Physicist	Plutonium-240 Spontaneous Fission	Los Alamos, Italy	Finds reactor-produced plutonium has a high spontaneous-fission neutron background because of plutonium-240.
16 July 1945	Enrico Fermi Physicist	Trinity Test Observation	Alamogordo, United States of America	Observes the Trinity nuclear test and performs a simple paper-drop experiment to make an immediate estimate of the explosion's yield.
16 July 1945	Robert Oppenheimer	1st Nuclear Explosion	Alamogordo, United States of America	The first nuclear explosion, the "Trinity" test of an implosion-style plutonium-based nuclear weapon known as "the gadget", near Alamogordo, New Mexico
16 July 1945	Robert Oppenheimer	Manhattan Project	Alamogordo, United States of America	The first nuclear explosion, the "Trinity" test of an implosion-style plutonium-based nuclear weapon known as "the gadget", near Alamogordo, New Mexico
1945	Cecil Frank Powell Physicist	Nuclear Emulsion Research	Bristol, Great Britain	Powell develops particle physics research at the University of Bristol.
1946	Enrico Fermi Professor	Postwar Nuclear Physics Programme	Chicago, United States of America	Establishes an energetic postwar research programme at Chicago spanning nuclear physics, particle physics and theoretical problems.
1946	Enrico Fermi Professor	University of Chicago Professorship	Chicago, United States of America	Accepts a professorship at the University of Chicago's Institute for Nuclear Studies and returns to fundamental research after the war.
15 December 1948	Frederic Joliot-Curie Physicist	French Reactor	Fontenay-aux-Roses, France	Leads work culminating in France's first nuclear reactor.
29 August 1949	Igor Vasilyevich Kurchatov Nuclear Physicist	First Soviet Atomic Test	Semipalatinsk, Russia	Directs the scientific programme producing the first Soviet atomic bomb test.
29 August 1949	Igor Vasilyevich Kurchatov Nuclear Physicist	RDS-1 Test	Semipalatinsk, Russia	The achievement marks rds-1 test as an important Russian scientific milestone.
1949	Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov Theoretical Physicist	Layer Cake Thermonuclear Design	Moscow, Russia	Develops a layered design concept for an early Soviet thermonuclear device.
1950	Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov Theoretical Physicist	Magnetic Fusion Confinement	Moscow, Russia	The achievement marks magnetic fusion confinement as an important Russian scientific milestone.
12 August 1953	Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov Theoretical Physicist	RDS-6s Test	Semipalatinsk, Russia	Contributes to the design tested as the Soviet Union's first thermonuclear device.
12 August 1953	Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov Theoretical Physicist	Soviet Thermonuclear Device	Semipalatinsk, Russia	The achievement marks soviet thermonuclear device as an important Russian scientific milestone.
1953	Aage Niels Bohr Nuclear Physicist	Collective Nuclear Model	Copenhagen, Denmark	Co-develops a model combining individual particles with collective nuclear motion.
1953	Aage Niels Bohr Nuclear Physicist	Nuclear Rotation and Vibration	Copenhagen, Denmark	Explains nuclear spectra through rotations and vibrations of deformed nuclei.
1953	Enrico Fermi Professor	Final Chicago Research Programme	Chicago, United States of America	Continues teaching and conducting research at the University of Chicago while advising younger physicists on nuclear and particle physics problems.
28 November 1954	Enrico Fermi Physicist	Death of Enrico Fermi	Chicago, United States of America	Enrico Fermi dies in Chicago on 28 November 1954 after a career that transformed quantum statistics, nuclear physics and reactor science.
1954	—	Paducah Cascade Improvement	Paducah, United States of America	Paducah implements a cascade-improvement programme intended to increase the efficiency of gaseous-diffusion enrichment.
1954	Enrico Fermi Physicist	Legacy in Nuclear and Particle Physics	Chicago, United States of America	Leaves a scientific legacy spanning quantum statistics, beta decay, neutron physics, controlled chain reactions, particle acceleration and high-energy physics.
14 August 1958	Frederic Joliot-Curie Physicist	Death of Frederic Joliot-Curie	Paris, France	Dies after a career in nuclear chemistry and physics.
1960	Homi Jehangir Bhabha Chairman · Atomic Energy Commission	CIRUS Reactor	Trombay, India	Under Homi Bhabha's leadership, the CIRUS research reactor becomes operational at Trombay and expands India's nuclear research capacity.
1963	Eugene Paul Wigner	Nobel Prize	Stockholm, United States of America	Shares the Nobel Prize in Physics for contributions to nuclear and particle theory, especially symmetry principles.
1965	—	Paducah Commercial Enrichment	Paducah, United States of America	Paducah shifts increasingly toward producing enriched uranium for commercial nuclear-power reactor fuel.
18 May 1974	Raja Ramanna Director · BARC	Pokhran-I	Pokhran, India	Raja Ramanna plays a leading scientific role in India's first underground nuclear test at Pokhran.
10 December 1975	Aage Niels Bohr Nuclear Physicist	Collective Nuclear Motion Recognition	Stockholm, Denmark	Receives recognition for connecting nuclear structure with collective behavior.
10 December 1975	Aage Niels Bohr Nuclear Physicist	Nobel Prize in Physics	Stockholm, Denmark	Shares the physics prize for describing collective motion in atomic nuclei.
1975	—	Gas Centrifuge Development	Oak Ridge, United States of America	A United States centrifuge uranium-separation programme begins at Oak Ridge as engineers investigate alternatives to gaseous diffusion.
1991	—	Portsmouth Low-Enriched Uranium	Piketon, United States of America	Portsmouth enters its final operating decade producing only low-enriched uranium for commercial nuclear-power use.
1994	Sigurd Hofmann Physicist	Discovery of Roentgenium	Darmstadt, Germany	Leads a team that produces element 111, later named roentgenium, extending the known periodic table through heavy-ion fusion.
2000	Yuri Oganessian Physicist	Discovery of Livermorium	Dubna, Russia	Leads collaborative experiments that produce atoms of element 116, later named livermorium, through fusion of heavy nuclei.
May 2001	—	Portsmouth Enrichment Closure	Piketon, United States of America	Uranium-enrichment activities at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant conclude after roughly half a century of operation.
May 2013	—	Paducah Enrichment Closure	Paducah, United States of America	Commercial uranium-enrichment operations cease at Paducah, ending more than sixty years of gaseous-diffusion production at the site.

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