Wilhelm Röntgen

Awarded for

The discovery of X-rays (Röntgen rays)

The story behind the prize

While experimenting with cathode-ray tubes in 1895, Röntgen noticed a screen glowing across the room. He discovered invisible rays that pass through soft tissue but not bone, and made the first X-ray image, of his wife's hand. X-rays transformed medicine within months.

About

German physicist who discovered X-rays in 1895 at the University of Würzburg.

Exam facts

• Won the first-ever Nobel Prize in Physics
• Gave his prize money to his university