Max Planck, a German physicist, was born in Kiel, Germany in 1858. He is best known as the originator of the quantum theory of energy and was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1918 for his work in this field.

Max Planck was born in Kiel Holsten.

Among Max Planck's earliest memories was the marching of Prussian and Austrian troops into Kiel during the Second Schleswig War in 1864.

Max attended the famous Maximilian Gymnasium in Munich in May 1867. He did well at school, excelling in music and receiving school prizes in catechism and good conduct.

Max Planck, born into a traditional and intellectual family, received early education in astrology, math, penmanship, singing, and musical instruments like piano, organ, and cello. He also participated in operas.

Towards the end of his school career in 1872, Max Planck's teacher Hermann Müller raised his interest in physics and mathematics. Planck became deeply impressed by the law of conservation of energy.

Max Planck started his studies at the University of Munich in 1874, where he was taught physics by Philipp von Jolly and Wilhelm Beetz, and mathematics by Ludwig Seidel and Gustav Bauer.

In 1875, Max Planck faced health issues during the summer term of his studies, which led him to temporarily pause his academic pursuits.

Max went to Berlin for a year to study Physics with renowned scientists Hermann Von Helmholtz, Gustav Kirchhoff, and Karl Weierstrass.

Max Planck passes his qualifying exams after a year of studying physics and starts teaching mathematics and physics at his former school in Munich.

At the age of 21, Max Planck received his doctorate in Munich with a thesis on the second law of thermodynamics titled On the Second Law of Mechanical Theory of Heat. The award of the doctorate was made 'summa cum laude'.

Max Planck presents his habilitation thesis on different equilibrium states of isotropic bodies at different temperatures.

After submitting his thesis on entropy and the mechanical theory of heat, Max Planck was awarded his habilitation at Munich University and became a Privatdozent. This teaching post was unpaid, leading Planck to live with his parents for five years.

Max Planck begins his academic career, which lasts until 1926.

Max was admitted to a university after becoming an unpaid lecturer in Munich, marking the beginning of his academic career.

Max Planck was appointed as an extraordinary professor of theoretical physics in Kiel, a position he held for four years. This appointment provided him with financial security, allowing him to marry Marie Merck in 1887.

Max Planck married Marie Merck, the daughter of a Munich banker, on 31 March 1887. This marriage followed Planck's appointment as an extraordinary professor in Kiel, marking a new chapter in his personal life.

On 29 November 1888, Max Planck was appointed as an extraordinary professor of theoretical physics at the University of Berlin and became the director of the Institute for Theoretical Physics.

In 1889, Max Planck was named the successor to Kirchhoff's position at the Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität in Berlin, possibly due to Helmholtz's influence. By 1892, he had become a full professor.

After being a successful physics professor, Max was promoted to a full professorship and decided to stay in Berlin, turning down other job offers.

Max Planck made a significant breakthrough in physics by introducing the concept of black body radiation, which laid the foundation for quantum theory.

In 1896, Wilhelm Wien formulated a law regarding the spectral energy distribution of blackbody radiation, which caught the attention of Max Planck. This formula played a crucial role in the development of Planck's Radiation Law.

In 1897, Max Abraham became one of Max Planck's graduate students.

In 1898, thanks to Max Planck's initiative, the various local Physical Societies of Germany merged to form the German Physical Society (Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft, DPG). Planck served as the president from 1905 to 1909.

Max Planck invented the Planck Constant in 1899, which is a fundamental constant in quantum mechanics. It is denoted by 'h' and plays a crucial role in understanding the quantization of energy.

On October 19, 1900, experimentalists at the Physikalisch-Technische Reichsanstalt found indications that Wien's Law broke down at low frequencies. This discovery prompted Max Planck to rethink his approach towards deriving a new formula for blackbody radiation.

In December 1900, Max Planck successfully derived Planck's Radiation Law, which described the spectral energy distribution of blackbody radiation. This marked a significant breakthrough in the development of quantum theory.

In 1901, Max Planck developed the quantum theory, which revolutionized the field of physics by introducing the concept of quantized energy.

In 1903, Max Planck published a treatise on thermodynamics, translated by A. Ogg, which contributed to the understanding of thermodynamic principles.

In 1904, Moritz Schlick became one of Max Planck's graduate students.

In 1905, Max Planck was one of the few who recognized the significance of Albert Einstein, even when Einstein was relatively unknown. This recognition eventually led to Einstein's rise as a prominent figure in physics.

In 1906, Max Planck published 'Vorlesungen über die Theorie der Wärmestrahlung' (Lectures on the Theory of Heat Radiation), providing insights into the theory of heat radiation.

In 1907, Max Planck was offered Ludwig Boltzmann's position in Vienna but decided to decline the offer to remain in Berlin.

In 1908, Max Planck published 'Prinzip der Erhaltung der Energie' (Principle of Conservation of Energy), emphasizing the conservation of energy in physical systems.

In 1909, Max Planck's first wife Marie passed away, leaving him with four children. This event marked a tragic moment in Planck's life.

In 1911, two years after the death of his first wife, Max Planck remarried to Marga von Hösslin, who was the niece of his late wife Marie. They had one child together, a son named Hermann.

In 1912, Walter Schottky joined the group of graduate students mentored by Max Planck.

In 1914, Max Planck was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

In 1915, Max Planck published 'Eight Lectures on Theoretical Physics' with translation by A. P. Wills, presenting key concepts in theoretical physics.

Between January 1, 1916, and October 4, 1947, Max Planck faced challenging times. This period may have been marked by personal or professional difficulties that impacted his life and work.

The Kaiser Wilhelm Institut für Physik was established in 1917 in Germany. It was a renowned research institute that played a significant role in the development of physics.

Max Planck made significant advancements in physics in 1918.

Max Planck was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918 for his discovery of Planck's constant and his contributions to quantum theory.

In recognition of his groundbreaking contribution to physics, Planck was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for 1918, although he received the award in 1919.

In his Nobel Lecture delivered on 2 June 1920, Max Planck discussed in detail the process of his discoveries, including the universal function dependent only on temperature and wavelength. This lecture provided insights into the connection between energy, temperature, and molecular physics.

In 1922, Max von Laue, who was also a Nobel Prize laureate in Physics in 1914, took on the role of Deputy Director at the Institute.

On January 10, 1926, Max Planck retired from Berlin University and was succeeded by Erwin Schrödinger.

In 1927, Max Planck was honored by being elected as an honorary member of the German Physical Society, recognizing his significant contributions to the field.

Max Planck received the Royal Society Copley Medal in 1929 for his exceptional contributions to the field of physics.

In 1933, Max Planck was elected to the American Philosophical Society.

Max Planck was recognized as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1937, highlighting his esteemed status in the scientific community.

In 1938, ten years before the establishment of the Max Planck Society, the Institute was officially given the additional name of "Max Planck Institute".

In 1939, during World War II, German military authorities initiated a secret uranium project at the Berlin-based Institute, aiming to develop a nuclear reactor.

In 1942, Max Planck explained his choice to stay in Berlin during World War II, citing his long history in the city and its significance as a center of intellectual activity in Germany.

In 1943, Max Planck published a paper titled 'Zur Geschichte der Auffindung des physikalischen Wirkungsquantums' in Naturwissenschaften, discussing the history of the discovery of the physical quantum of action.

In February 1944, Max Planck's home in Berlin was destroyed by fire after an air raid, further adding to the hardships he faced.

On January 23, 1945, Erwin Planck, Max Planck's son, was executed due to his participation in the failed attempt to assassinate Hitler in July 1944.

Max Planck passed away on October 4, 1947, in Göttingen, Germany, after a long and influential career in theoretical physics.

In 1948, the German scientific institution Kaiser Wilhelm Society was renamed the Max Planck Society (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft) in honor of Max Planck, now comprising 83 institutions.

A collection of scientific papers and autobiography by Max Planck, published in 1949.

An article by W Meissner in Science 113 (1951) discussing various aspects of Max Planck.

An article by L Meitner in Naturwissenschaften 45 (1958) providing insights into Max Planck as a person.

An article by M J Klein in Archive for History of Exact Sciences 1 (1962) exploring Max Planck's role in the early days of quantum theory.

A study by M J Klein in The Natural Philosopher 1 (1963) delving into Planck's work on entropy and quanta during 1901-1906.

An article by M J Klein in Physics Today 19 (1966) examining the relationship between thermodynamics and quanta in Max Planck's work.

A work by A Hermann that provides self-testimonies and visual documents of Max Planck, published in Hamburg in 1973.

A publication by Ilse Rosenthal-Schneider capturing discussions with Einstein, von Laue, and Max Planck on reality and scientific truth.

A book by J L Heilbron focusing on Max Planck as a representative of German science, published in Berkeley in 1986.

Anne Cutler accepted the appointment as a scientific member of the Max Planck Society in December 1993. She also took on the role of director of the Institute, overseeing research on speech and language comprehension.

In July 1994, Stephen C. Levinson was appointed as a scientific member and director at the Max Planck Institute, leading the Cognitive Anthropology Research Group. The group focused on studying how human language capacity deals with various natural languages.

In 1997, the Max Planck Institute consolidated its new structure by establishing four permanent research areas: language production, language comprehension, language acquisition, and cognitive anthropology.

A book by J. L. Heilbron that explores the challenges faced by Max Planck and the impact on German science.

Clifford A. Pickover's book that delves into the laws of science and the influential minds like Max Planck behind them.

The International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) for Language Sciences is established as a joint venture of the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics and two Radboud University partner institutes - the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and the Centre for Language Studies. It offers courses, training programmes, and networking opportunities to doctoral students.

Jean Medawar and David Pyke's book revealing the plight of scientists expelled by the Nazi regime, including Max Planck.

On December 14, 2014, Google featured a doodle to commemorate Max Planck, showcasing his significant contributions to physics and quantum theory.

In January 2016, Sonja Vernes was appointed as the leader of the Max Planck Research Group. Her research focuses on the neurogenetics of vocal communication in mammals to understand the biological basis of human speech and language.

In September 2016, Caroline Rowland took over from Wolfgang Klein as the Director of Max Planck, establishing a new Language Development Department. The department aims to understand how infants acquire natural language.

In December 2017, Stephen C. Levinson retired as the director of the Language and Cognition Department. His retirement marked a transition in the leadership of the department.

In 2018, Peter Indefrey was appointed as the leader of the Neural Dynamics of Language Production Research Group. His work focuses on the dynamics of language production.

In January 2020, Andrea Martin was appointed as the leader of a Max Planck Research Group. Her research interests contribute to the scientific endeavors of the institution.

Max Planck's biography was listed as one of the most popular biographies in 2024, reflecting the enduring interest in his life and work.