John Bardeen, American physicist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1908)
John Bardeen (; May 23, 1908 – January 30, 1991) was an American engineer and physicist. He is the only person to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics twice: first in 1956 with William Shockley and Walter Brattain for the invention of the transistor; and again in 1972 with Leon N Cooper and John Robert Schrieffer for a fundamental theory of conventional superconductivity known as the BCS theory.The transistor revolutionized the electronics industry, making possible the development of almost every modern electronic device, from telephones to computers, and ushering in the Information Age. Bardeen's developments in superconductivity—for which he was awarded his second Nobel Prize—are used in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and medical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Born and raised in Wisconsin, Bardeen received a PhD in physics from Princeton University. After serving in World War II, he was a researcher at Bell Labs, and a professor at the University of Illinois. In 1990, Bardeen appeared on Life magazine's list of "100 Most Influential Americans of the Century."
1991Jan, 30
John Bardeen
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Events on 1991
- 15Jan
Gulf War
The United Nations deadline for the withdrawal of Iraqi forces from occupied Kuwait expires, preparing the way for the start of Operation Desert Storm. - 16Jan
Gulf War
Coalition Forces go to war with Iraq, beginning the Gulf War. - 17Jan
Operation Desert Storm
Gulf War: Operation Desert Storm begins early in the morning. Iraq fires eight Scud missiles into Israel in an unsuccessful bid to provoke Israeli retaliation. - 9Apr
Soviet Union
Georgia declares independence from the Soviet Union - 5Oct
Jakarta
An Indonesian military transport crashes after takeoff from Jakarta killing 137.