360Wilhelm Röntgen discovers X-rays
On 8 November 1895, the German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen discovered a new kind of invisible ray that could pass through the human body and show the bones inside. He called them X-rays. Within months, doctors were using them, and in 1901 Röntgen received the first Nobel Prize in Physics.
Wilhelm Röntgen was experimenting with electric currents in glass tubes at the University of Würzburg. On 8 November 1895, he noticed that a nearby screen coated with a chemical began to glow, even though the tube was covered in black card.
He realised that unknown rays were passing through the card. Because they were a mystery, he called them X-rays. He found that they passed through paper, wood and flesh, but were blocked by bone and metal.
On 22 December 1895, Röntgen made an image of his wife Anna Bertha's hand, clearly showing her bones and wedding ring. He published his discovery days later.
The news spread worldwide within weeks. Hospitals began using X-rays to find broken bones and swallowed objects in 1896. Röntgen refused to patent his discovery so it could benefit everyone. In 1901 he received the first Nobel Prize in Physics.
- 8 November 1895
- Röntgen discovers X-rays
- 22 December 1895
- First X-ray image of a hand
- 1896
- X-rays used in hospitals
- 1901
- First Nobel Prize in Physics
Sources: Nobel Prize · Deutsches Röntgen-Museum · Britannica.