Hevesy, George (1885-1966) | Niels Bohr Archive

Name: Hevesy, George (1885-1966)

Historical Note: Working in Lord Rutherford's laboratory in Manchester (1913) this Hungarian-born scientist initiated the method of radioactive indicators as a tool in chemical analysis. After the First World War he spent six years at Niels Bohr's Institute in Denmark and, together with the Dutch physicist D. Coster, discovered a hitherto unknown element which was given the Latin name of Copenhagen: "Hafnium". In the 1930s Hevesy returned to Copenhagen and developed the tracer technique in biological and medical research using artificially produced radioactive isotopes. The wide applicability of this technique triggered spectacular advances in the life sciences and many other branches of science and technology. Hevesy was awarded the 1943 Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1944.

Note Author: Pors, Felicity

Records or Manuscript Collections Created by Hevesy, George