Werner Heisenberg was a key figure in quantum mechanics, known for the uncertainty principle. He also contributed to various other scientific fields and played a role in the Nazi nuclear weapons program during World War II. He received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1932.
August Heisenberg, father of Werner Heisenberg, married Anna Wecklein in May 1899. August was a school teacher who later became a Privatdozent at the University of Würzburg.
Erwin Heisenberg, the older brother of Werner Heisenberg, was born in March 1900. He was nearly two years older than Werner.
Werner Heisenberg lived from 1901 to 1976.
Werner Heisenberg, the German physicist known for his contributions to quantum mechanics, was born on December 5, 1901.
In September 1906, shortly before his fifth birthday, Werner Heisenberg started attending a primary school in Würzburg. He spent three years at this school before his family moved to Munich in 1909.
In June 1910, Werner Heisenberg and his family moved to Munich where he attended the Elisabethenschule. He spent only one year at this school before entering the Maximilians Gymnasium in Munich.
Heisenberg commences a nine-year course of study at Max-Gymnasium in Munich under the principalship of his grandfather.
In 1917, due to his exceptional mathematical abilities, Werner Heisenberg tutored a family friend who was studying at university in calculus. His mathematical skills were highly regarded.
Heisenberg takes part in the Bavarian agricultural service in August and September 1918.
Heisenberg provides support to the troops following the suppression of the Bavarian Soviet Republic in May and June 1919.
In October 1920, Heisenberg started studying theoretical physics under Sommerfeld at Munich University. Initially cautious, he focused on mathematics classes but eventually gained confidence in theoretical physics and began taking all of Sommerfeld's courses.
On December 17, 1921, Heisenberg submitted his first paper for publication.
In June 1922, Sommerfeld took Heisenberg to Göttingen to attend the Bohr Festival where Niels Bohr gave lectures on quantum atomic physics. Heisenberg met Bohr for the first time at this event, which had a lasting impact on him.
In July 1923, Heisenberg completed the requirements for his doctorate.
In August 1923, Heisenberg, along with Robert Honsell, organized a trip to Finland with a Scout group from Munich. This trip was part of the activities of the Neupfadfinder, a German Scout association, of which Heisenberg was a member and Scoutleader.
On June 7, 1924, Heisenberg met Einstein for the first time.
On June 28, 1924, Heisenberg delivered a successful lecture for his habilitation, granting him the right to teach.
On 28 July 1924, Heisenberg delivered his habilitation lecture in Göttingen, qualifying to teach in German universities.
From 17 September 1924 to 1 May 1925, Heisenberg conducted research with Niels Bohr in Copenhagen under a fellowship. This collaboration played a crucial role in the development of quantum mechanics and laid the groundwork for Heisenberg's future contributions.
In June 1925, Heisenberg's paper, which provided a breakthrough to quantum mechanics, was received and published in 'Zeitschrift für Physik'. This paper laid the foundation for the development of quantum theory.
On May 1, 1926, Heisenberg began his appointment as a Lecturer in Niels Bohr's institute. This marked a significant step in Heisenberg's career and his collaboration with Bohr.
In 1927, Werner Heisenberg was appointed as a professor of theoretical physics and head of the physics department at the University of Leipzig. He delivered his inaugural lecture on 1 February 1928.
In March 1927, Heisenberg's paper introducing the uncertainty principle was received and published in 'Zeitschrift für Physik'. This principle revolutionized the field of quantum mechanics.
In 1928, Werner Heisenberg published The Physical Principles of Quantum Theory, a seminal work that laid the foundation for quantum mechanics and furthered the understanding of atomic structures.
In March to November 1929, Werner Heisenberg embarked on a series of travels to the United States, Japan, China, and India.
On 22nd November 1930, Werner Heisenberg's father, who was a professor of Byzantine Studies in Munich, passed away.
On 7th June 1932, Werner Heisenberg received recognition for his first paper on the neutron-proton model of nuclei, published in Zs. f. Phys., 77, 1-11.
On 11th December 1933, Werner Heisenberg was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics for his groundbreaking contributions in 1932.
In 1934, Werner Heisenberg presented his theory of the positron in a paper titled 'Remarks on Dirac's theory of the positron'. This work contributed to the advancement of quantum field theory.
In 1935, the Munich Faculty compiled a list of potential candidates to take over as the professor of theoretical physics at the University of Munich after Sommerfeld. The three main candidates were Heisenberg, Debye, and Becker, all former students of Sommerfeld.
On 29th January 1936, Werner Heisenberg and the field of theoretical physics were criticized in a Nazi party newspaper, reflecting the political tensions of the time.
On April 29, 1937, Werner Heisenberg married Elisabeth Schumacher in Berlin.
On July 15, 1937, Werner Heisenberg and other physicists were viciously attacked in an SS newspaper.
In July 1938, Heinrich Himmler settled the controversy surrounding Heisenberg by sending letters to SS Gruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich and Heisenberg. Himmler emphasized the importance of Heisenberg for teaching future scientists and advised Heisenberg to separate professional physics research from personal and political beliefs.
In September 26, 1938, Werner Heisenberg joined the fission research project in Berlin.
Werner Heisenberg's report on the possibility of technical energy production from uranium fission was published on December 6, 1939.
Between September 15-22, 1941, Werner Heisenberg visited German-occupied Copenhagen and had discussions about fission with Niels Bohr.
At a scientific conference in February 1942, Heisenberg presented a lecture to Reichs officials on the theoretical basis for energy generation from uranium fission. He emphasized the need for pure U-235 to achieve a chain reaction and explored methods of obtaining it.
On June 4, 1942, Heisenberg met with Albert Speer to discuss the prospects of converting the Uranverein's research towards developing nuclear weapons. He informed Speer that building a bomb would not be feasible before 1945 due to resource constraints.
On July 1, 1942, Werner Heisenberg was appointed as the interim director of the main reactor research lab in Berlin where he laid plans for the construction of a working reactor.
On 9th July 1942, Robert Döpel reported accidents related to handling uranium metal.
Werner Heisenberg made remarks regarding the planned semi-technical experiment with 1.5 tons of D2O and 3 tons of 38-Metal on 31st July 1942.
On 30th October 1942, Werner Heisenberg, Fritz Bopp, Erich Fischer, Carl-Friedrich von Weizsäcker, and Karl Wirtz conducted measurements on layer arrangements made of 38-Metal and paraffin.
On 6th May 1943, Werner Heisenberg discussed energy generation from atomic nucleus fission.
On September 8, 1943, he received the first part of his theory on the S-matrix in elementary particle physics, which was published in Zs. f. Phys., 120, 513-538.
From January 24 to February 4, 1944, he traveled to German-occupied Copenhagen to secure the release of the Bohr Institute from occupation authorities, as Niels Bohr had fled.
On 3rd January 1945, Fritz Bopp, Walther Bothe, Erich Fischer, Erwin Fünfer, Werner Heisenberg, O. Ritter, and Karl Wirtz reported on an experiment involving 1.5 tons of D2O and U with a 40 cm Kohler backscatter mantle (B7).
In May 1945, U.S. forces arrested Werner Heisenberg at his family home in Urfeld, Bavaria.
On 3rd January 1946, Werner Heisenberg was released in Germany and settled in Göttingen.
In December 1947, Werner Heisenberg delivered lectures in Britain.
In 1948, Heisenberg published multiple papers on the statistical theory of turbulence and isotropic turbulence, contributing significantly to the understanding of fluid dynamics.
On 9th March 1949, Werner Heisenberg became the founding president of the German Research Council.
In 1950, a proposal for a unified theory of elementary particles involving a nonlinear spinor field was put forward.
In August 1951, the Research Council merged with the Emergency Association to establish the German Research Association (DFG) with Werner Heisenberg in the Presidium.
In March 1952, Werner Heisenberg led the German delegation to the European Council for Nuclear Research, discussing the potential establishment of CERN.
On 1 July 1953, Heisenberg signed the convention that established CERN on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany.
On December 10, 1953, Konrad Adenauer appointed Heisenberg as the president of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.
Heisenberg's research in 1955 focused on the production of mesons in very high energy collisions, advancing the understanding of particle interactions at extreme conditions.
In April 1957, Werner Heisenberg and 17 other West German scientists issued a declaration opposing Chancellor Adenauer's decision to accept tactical nuclear weapons from NATO.
In February 1958, Werner Heisenberg and Wolfgang Pauli published a preprint proposing a unified field theory of elementary particles, which included the concept of the 'Weltformel' or 'world formula', but later Pauli renounced the idea.
In 1961, Heisenberg signed the Memorandum of Tübingen, participating in a public discussion on nuclear weapons alongside other scientists and politicians.
An oral history interview with Werner Heisenberg took place on November 30, 1962.
An oral history interview with Werner Heisenberg took place on February 7, 1963.
An oral history interview with Werner Heisenberg took place on February 11, 1963.
An oral history interview with Werner Heisenberg took place on February 13, 1963.
An oral history interview with Werner Heisenberg took place on February 15, 1963.
An oral history interview with Werner Heisenberg took place on February 19, 1963.
An oral history interview with Werner Heisenberg took place on February 22, 1963.
An oral history interview with Werner Heisenberg took place on February 25, 1963.
An oral history interview with Werner Heisenberg took place on February 27, 1963.
An oral history interview with Werner Heisenberg took place on February 28, 1963.
Heisenberg received an honorary doctorate from the University of Budapest in 1964, recognizing his contributions to the field of physics.
A book titled 'Philosophic Problems of Nuclear Science' was published in 1966.
In his late sixties, Heisenberg penned his autobiography for the mass market. The book was published in Germany in 1969 and later in English and other languages, covering various themes from exact science to science and religion.
On December 31, 1970, Werner Heisenberg resigned from his position as the director of the Max Planck Institute.
In 1971, a book titled 'Physics and Beyond: Encounters and Conversations' by Werner Heisenberg was published in New York, delving into discussions beyond traditional physics concepts.
On March 24, 1973, Heisenberg gave a speech before the Catholic Academy of Bavaria, accepting the Romano Guardini Prize and discussing the intersection of scientific and religious truths.
In 1974, the book 'The Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics: The Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics in Historical Perspective' by M. Jammer was published, exploring the historical context of quantum mechanics interpretations.
In October 1975, Werner Heisenberg resigned from the presidency of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.
Werner Heisenberg died of cancer at his home in Munich on February 1, 1976.
In 1977, C. F. von Weizsäcker wrote about Werner Heisenberg, shedding light on his life and contributions.
A book titled 'Quantentheorie und Philosophie: Vorlesungen und Aufsätze' was published in 1979.
A book titled 'The Political Life of an Unpolitical: Memories of Werner Heisenberg' was published in 1980, focusing on the personal and political aspects of Werner Heisenberg's life.
A book titled 'Tradition in Science' was published in 1983.
In 1986, the 2-volume work 'Intellectual Mastery of Nature' by C. Jungnickel and R. McCormmach was published, focusing on the intellectual control over nature.
A book titled 'Physik und Philosophie: Weltperspektiven' was published in 1988.
A book titled 'Encounters with Einstein: And Other Essays on People, Places, and Particles' was published in 1989.
M. Walker's article 'Heisenberg, Goudsmit and the German Atomic Bomb' published in Physics Today in 1990 discusses the involvement of Heisenberg and Goudsmit in the German atomic bomb project.
A book titled 'Deutsche und Jüdische Physik' was published in 1992.
Published in London in 1993, 'Heisenberg's War: The Secret History of the German Bomb' by T. Powers uncovers the hidden history of the German bomb during wartime.
J. Bernstein's article 'What did Heisenberg tell Bohr about the bomb?' published in Scientific American in 1995 explores the conversation between Heisenberg and Bohr regarding the atomic bomb.
A book titled 'Physics and Philosophy: The Revolution in Modern Science (Great Minds Series)' was published in 1999.
A book titled 'Der Teil und das Ganze: Gespräche im Umkreis der Atomphysik' was published in 2002.
A book titled 'Physics and Philosophy: The Revolution in Modern Science' was published in 2007.