FAMOUS SCIENTISTS

click on the scientists and go directly to his/her biography

GENERAL SITES

INDIVIDUAL BIOGRAPHIES

see also Biographies

GENERAL SITES

Biographies, The Scientists: A List--Alphabetical list of scientists with links to further information for some.

Contributions Of 20th Century Women To Physics--Citations describe and document 88 women  and their major contributions, as well as provides biographical information pertaining to the scientific lives of each.

Encyclopedia Of Scientists--List of scientists with links to information about them.

African Americans In The Sciences--Biographies of African Americans working in the science fields, ranging from geologists and astronomers to mathematicians and inventors.

Famous Earth Scientists--Famous Earth scientists from ancient times to today.

Famous Scientists--Nice alphabetical list of scientists arranged by first name.

4000 Years Of Women In Science--Stories of the women who have contributed to the technical advancement of humanity, including inventors, scholars, writers, mathematicians, and astronomers.  Photos are available for some of the scientists.

History Of Chemistry--Subject index with links to the people were were instrumental in their development or discovery.

Images Of Physicists--Large and thumbnail images along with links to other image sites.

Mathematicians--Extensive database of mathematicians in alphabetical order.

Portraits Of Scientists And Philosophers--If you need a picture for your report this is a good place to start.  Pictures Of Famous Scientists--Some good sites for photos and drawings.

Scientific Biography--Biographies of noteworthy people in physics, astronomy, chemistry, and math. Select  by branch of science, gender, historical period, nationality, or prize winner.  There is also an alphabetical list of all the scientists in the database.

Scientists, Inventors And Explorers--Science biography resources indexed by subject and academic level; science timelines, stamps and images.

INDIVIDUAL BIOGRAPHIES

See also Inventors

Archimedes--A collection of Archimedean miscellanea including quick facts, accomplishments, photos and more.  Some very good illustrations and animations.   Archimedes Of Syracuse--A good biography with links through out.  Contains a collection of 10 pictures.  Archimedes--Another good site presented by BBC.  Archimedes--A nice site with information about his life, his works, legends about him, inventions, and his death.  Includes drawings and color illustrations.

Aristotle--Biography of Aristotle (384-322BC) writer, scientist and all round genius.  Aristotle--Good biography with links to other sites.    Another Profile--Good information with links.

Babbage, Charles--Complete picture of the life and work of Babbage, including several biographical essays covering his life and his family, plus detailed descriptions of his inventions.  Babbage, Charles--Account of the life of Babbage, the man often referred to as the Father of Computing.  Inventor Profile--Fascinating facts about Charles Babbage inventor of the first mechanical computing machine in the 1820s.

Bascom, Florence--Short biography of "the first woman geologist in this country."  A Life Of Firsts--A good article with photos.  Requires Adobe Reader.

Becquerel, Antoine Henri--Short but informational biography on the man who helped discover radiation.  Antoine Henri Becquerel--Brief biography which includes his education and training.

Bell, Alexander--Concise report on Bells' accomplishments.   Biography Of Alexander Graham Bell--Skim down half of the page to the "special collections" to find information on Bell, timeline, and family tree.  Alexander Graham Bells Path To The Telephone--This site is an attempt to reconstruct, in fine-grained detail, the path taken by Alexander Graham Bell while inventing the telephone.  Be sure to look at all the link buttons as there are some great detailed drawings.

Benedict, Ruth Fulton--Biography of her life and work.    Ruth Benedict: Definition And Much More From Answers.Com

Bohr, Niels--Biography and accomplishments of the scientists best known for the investigations of atomic structure  and also for work on radiation, which won him the 1922 Nobel Prize for physics.    Niels Bohr--A good summary of his early years, his work, and his later life.

Cannon, Annie Jump--Very short biography and quick facts on astronomer Annie Jump Cannon who perfected the universal system of stellar classification still in use today.  Another Short Profile     Another

Rachel Carson--Explanation of her work.  Home Page-- Comprehensive information on environmental educational programs .      Another Profile

Carr, Emma Perry--Short biography of her life and achievements.

George Washington Carver Inventor Profile--Fascinating facts about George Washington Carver inventor of peanut agricultural sciences.  The Peanut Man--Presents the story of George Washington Carver.

Copernicus, Nicolaus--Biography of the Polish astronomer who revolutionized science and the conception of the universe with his heliocentric theory of planetary movement, published as De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (1543).  Copernicus--Tells about his early life and education, as well as the Copernican System and Its Influence.  Another Profile     Nicolaus Copernicus--A good collection of information on his early life and education, his astronomical work, and the publication of de revolutionibus,

Cori, Gerty Theresa Radnitz--Short summary of her work and honors.    Links--Twenty links to sites regarding Cori.

Curie, Marie--Learn about her childhood, family life and accomplishments and failures.  Marie Curie--Fairly thorough overview of Curie's life and work.

Dalton, John--Brief biography of the  English meteorologist who switched to chemistry when he saw the applications for chemistry of his ideas about the atmosphere.    My Brother John--Biographical information told by his brother.

Darwin, Charles--Short biography with addition links listed at the bottom of page.  Charles Darwin--Short summary of the life and work of the famous English biologist Charles Darwin.   Charles Darwin--A detailed accounting of his early life and education, the voyage of the "Beagle", his thoughts and notes on the origin of the species, and his later works.

Eastman, George--Short biography with related information links at the bottom.     Profile    The Wizard Of Photography--The story of George Eastman and how he transformed photography.

Edison Birthplace Museum--Biography, information on inventions, family and more.  Tomas Edison--Includes information on his inventions, his biography, famous quotes and a photo gallery.  Thomas A. Edison Papers--Scroll down to find information on Edison's patients, his family, companies, maps and images of his early life, and related web sites.  Thomas Edison--A detail account of his early life, inventions, his laboratory, and his patents.

Einstein, Albert--Einstein's biography.   Learn about his greatest inventions in chronological order.  Hear his voice explain his famous equation.               Einstein Revealed--The companion Web site to the NOVA program "Einstein Revealed."  Presents a thorough profile of Albert Einstein, who contributed more than any other scientist to our modern vision of physical reality.

Elion, Gertrude Belle--1988 Nobel Prize winner who has spent a lifetime creating drugs to combat leukemia, gout,  malaria, herpes and other auto-immune diseases.     Inventor Profile     Gertrude B. Elion – Autobiography

Michael Faraday--BBC presents a concise look at Faradays' life and work.  Faraday--Another short biography.  Inventory Profile--Fascinating facts about Michael Faraday inventor of the electric motor, the dynamo, the transformer, and the generator.

Farnsworth , Philo-- Biography and accounting of the development of the television picture tube.   The Farnsworth Chronicles--Contains in-depth writings on the life of television's inventor.

Fermi , Enrico --Accounting of the work by the man  who was considered  the last of the double-threat physicists: a genius at creating both esoteric theories and elegant experiments.  About Enrico Fermi    Inventory Profile--Fascinating facts about Enrico Fermi inventor of nuclear reaction in 1942.    Enrico Fermi-- Learn about the Nobel Laureate and learn about his personal life, scientific achievements, and his role in the Manhattan project.

Fleming , Alexander--Looks at the improbable chain of events that led Alexander Fleming to discover penicillin in 1928.   Sir Alexander Fleming--Nobel Prize site outlining his career and achievements.  Alexander Fleming-- Biography of the man who discovered penicillin from the SJSU Virtual Museum.

Ford, Henry--Fascinating facts about Henry Ford inventor of automobile mass production in 1913.    Henry Ford--A nice biography and other information, such as the price of the Model T from 1910 to 1915.  Driving Force:  Henry Ford--A very good history of his achievements.

Franklin, Ben--Excellent biography of Franklin portraying  not only his contributions to science but to public service. Many illustrations and photos compliment this site.  Inventor Profile--Fascinating facts about Benjamin Franklin inventor of the lighting rod and bifocal glasses.  Benjamin Franklin--A detailed account of his early life, youthful adventures, public service, and later years.  Ben Franklin - Autobiography--Autobiography of the politician and inventor.  Benjamin Franklin--Expansive coverage of the singular Franklin.   Ben Franklin    Benjamin Franklin--A wonderful site from the Franklin  Institute. An impressive biography dealing with the accomplishments of this multi-faceted creative man, the scientist ,inventor, musician, economist, printer, philosopher and statesman.  Benjamin Franklin:  An Extraordinary Life.  An Electric Mind--Story of one of the most remarkable and multi-talented human beings the world has ever known.

Franklin, Rosalind--Short biography of the woman who is responsible for much of the research and discovery work that led to the understanding of the structure of deoxyribonucleic acid, DNA.

Freud, Sigmund--Nice accounting of his thoughts and work.  Sigmund Freud--Features information about his life and works (the theory of unconscious, neurosis and the structure of the mind, etc.).     The Freud Archives--This collection of links points to Internet resources related to Sigmund Freud and his works. Included in this collection are libraries, museums, and biographical materials.

Fulton, Robert--Complete text of a 1913 biography.   Robert Fulton: His Life And Its Results--Online biography by Robert H. Thurston.

Galileo--A good biography which shows the key moments of his life, his pioneering telescopic observations of the Moon and planets, his revolutionary experiments with falling objects, and his fateful trial before the Inquisition for heresy.   The Galileo Project--A hypertext source of information on the life and work of Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) and the science of his time.  A very interesting site containing more then just his biography--information on his daughter, who was a nun, his villa (home), timeline of Galileo's life and era, maps of Galileo's world, and resources.  Galileo GALILEI--Biography and information on Galileo's work with mechanics, astronomy, the microscope, thermometry and magnetism.                 BBC History Page       Galileo--A detailed account of his early life and career, and how his increasingly overt Copernicanism began to cause trouble for him.  Good color photos spread throughout.

Goddard, Robert--Accounting of his work on rockets, includes a nice chronology and movie clips.  Robert Goddard--A biography from the official NASA web site.

Goodall, Jane--Summary of her work with chimpanzees which has made revolutionary inroads into scientific thinking regarding the evolutions of humans.     NATURE: Jane Goodall's Wild Chimpanzees--Read up on our closest relative and learn how Jane Goodall has studied them over the years. Includes information on Gombe Stream National Park.

Gutenberg, Johannes--Learn about the man and the process he used to print the Gutenberg Bible.  Johannes Gutenberg--Biography on the man who invented printing.   Johannes Gutenberg And The Printing Press

Halley, Edmond--Description of the English astronomer and mathematician who was the first to calculate the orbit of the comet later named after him.  Edmond Halley--Many links to information on Halley and his achievements.  Edmond Halley--Uses a "next page" format  to advance through information about Halley, his first discoveries, his years with Newton, the comet, and his other contributions

Hamilton, Alice--Short summary of Physician pathologist  Alice Hamilton who specialized in industrial diseases.       Another profile

Hodgkin, Dorothy--A good summary of her work in determining the molecular structures of penicillin, vitamin B-12, insulin, and countless other proteins through X-ray analysis.      Profile--Short profile with photo.

Hopper, Grace Brewster Murray--Mathematics genius, computer pioneer, inventor and teacher. She was the first woman to attain the rank of Rear Admiral in the U.S. Navy.  Grace Hopper--This nice tribute to the brilliant Rear Admiral Hopper is part of the Biographies of Women Mathematicians site. A very short but well-written biography and a few references to other pages.  Inventor Profile--Fascinating facts about Grace Hopper inventor of the first computer compiler in 1952.

Hubble, Edwin--Biography of Edwin Powell Hubble (1889-1953) the American Astronomer after whom the Space Telescope is named.  Edwin Hubble--A very nice site explaining his achievements.  Includes a chronology and slide show.  NASA Quest--Short biography.

Jemison, Mae Carol--Short summary of Physician, engineer and astronaut Mae Jemison.  Dr.  Mae Jemison--Nice biography with detailed information.

Joliot-Curie, Irene--Short biography of the woman who along with here husband shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry  in recognition of their synthesis of new radioactive elements.  Irene Joliot-Curie--Short "biographical snapshot."   Irene Joliot-Curie--Information on her life and work based on an obituary by James Chadwick.   Another--Short biography with links to other sites.   Irene--Good information on Joliot-Curie.

Kepler, Johannes--Good biography with many links to additional information.  Johannes Kepler: His life, His Laws And Times--A good site with information about Kepler, a list of his firsts, his laws on planetary motion, and facts about the people and time in which he lived.  Johannes Kepler--Short biography.

Laurent, Antoine Lavoisier--Includes history, phlogiston theory, other scientific works, discovery of combustion, and links.  Antoine Lavoisier Laurent--Biography and links to resources.

Leakey, Mary, Louis, Richard--Excellent information on the work of the Leakey family on pale anthropology.   The Leakey Family      Mary Leakey     Mary Leakey--Contains a profile of the archaeologist and physical anthropologist known mostly for the excavation of a two million-year-old fossilized human skull in 1959.

Leavitt, Henrietta Swan--Short biography with a few links within to other sites of interest.

Leonardo da Vinci--In addition to information on his life, this site, done by the National Museum of Science and Technology, includes photos of models on exhibit at the museum.    Leonardo Da Vinci--A look at the scientific work of Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519) who came up with early sketches for the parachute and the helicopter.

Levi-Montalcini, Rita--A short autobiography with a lot of insight.

Marconi, Guglielmo--Biography of the man who invented the radio.

Mayer, Maria--Short summary of the first U.S. woman and second woman ever to win the Nobel Prize in Physics.

McClintock, Barbara--Short summary of the geneticist Barbara McClintock who pioneered work in maize genetics and the complex mechanisms which control and regulate cell development.   Barbara McClintock

McCormick, Cyrus--Short profile of the man who invented the mechanical reaper.  Cyrus McCormick--Read about this inventor's life and how he changed the lives of American farmers.

Meitner, Lise--Biography of the women who should of received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry  for the discovery of nuclear fission.   Lise Meitner Online--Examines the life and work of Lise Meitner (1878 - 1968), and the science on nuclear fission, to which much of her work was devoted.

Mitchell, Maria--Short summary of astronomer who discovered a new comet in 1847 and was the first woman named to membership in the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.       Maria Mitchell--Nice summary .

Morse , Samuel F. B.--Short biography of the man who invented Morse code and the telegraph.  Samuel Morse        Morse--Summarized article on Morse and the Morse code.

Newton, Isaac--Excellent biography with lots of links to related topics and a detailed list of references.  Sir Isaac Newton--Short biography and accomplishments.   Isaac Newton On The Web--Lots of links to information on Isaac Newton.  Sir Isaac Newton--Concise biography of Newton's' life and career.  Isaac Newton--Good information on his formative influences, the influences of the scientific revolution, his work during the plague years, and his career.

Pasteur, Louis--Biography of the French chemist and bacteriologist.  Louis Pasteur--An overview of his work as a scientist.       Pasteur, Louis--Brief biography on the French chemist Louis Pasteur who was the founder of microbiological sciences.

Richards, Ellen--Short summary of the first woman professional chemist in the nation, who opened scientific education and the scientific professions to women.  Ellen Henrietta Swallow Richards--Interesting biography on the woman who was the founder of home economics.

Ride, Sally--Short summary of the first women astronaut (1983), who rode aboard the Challenger into space.  Sally Ride--Nice summary of her early years, time with NASA, and current career.  Sally Kristen Ride - First American Woman In Space--Biography of Sally Ride.

Sir Ernest Rutherford--Brief biography.  Ernest Rutherford--Good summary of his life and work.

Sabin, Florence--First woman graduate of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the first woman to teach there.     Dr. Florence Rena Sabin--Nice history of her career.

Salk, Jonas--Many scientists were racing to make a polio vaccine in the '50s--but he got there first.  An interesting account of his search for a cure.  A Science Odyssey: Jonas Salk--PBS profile of the man who developed the polio vaccine.  Profile, Biography And Interview

Stevens, Nettie Maria--Very short summary of her achievement which showed that the chromosomes known as "X" and "Y" were responsible for determining the sex of individuals.   Stevens--Short biography, portrait, and related links.

Whitney, Eli--Short biography of the man who invented the cotton gin.    The Eli Whitney Museum --The Eli Whitney Museum home page. Provides a link to an illustrated biography of Eli Whitney as well as to information about the museum, its galleries and exhibits.      Eli Whitney's Patent For The Cotton Gin--Eli Whitney's patent for the cotton gin with related documents.

Wright, Wilbur And Orville--A pair of self-taught engineers working in a bicycle shop, they made the world a forever smaller place.      The Wright Brothers--From the National Park Service's Wright Brothers National Memorial, this site has biographical information about the Wright brothers, an explanation of how their plane worked, and a chronology of its creation.     The Wright Stuff--A PBS American Experience program about the Wright brothers.

Wu, Chien-Shiung--Nuclear scientist whose pioneering work altered modern physical theory and changed the accepted view of the structure of the universe.          Another Profile

Yalow, Rosalyn--"Biography of the first American women to win the Nobel Prize for Medicine (1977) and the first woman to win the Lasker Prize (1976)".  Rosalyn Yalow--A very good autobiography of her life and work.

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