Born: 17 November 1902 · Died: 1 January 1995 · Age at death: 92
How old was Eugene Paul Wigner when he died?
Eugene Paul Wigner died aged 92. He was born on 17 November 1902 and died on 1 January 1995.
Nobel Prize-winning physicist who contributed to the Manhattan Project
Did you know?He attended the same high school in Budapest as another famous mathematician, John von Neumann, at the same time.
Quick facts
Date of birth17 November 1902
Date of death1 January 1995
Age at death92
Cause of deathPneumonia
NationalityHungarian-American
BirthplaceBudapest, Hungary
Occupationmathematician, physicist, university teacher
Editor's Take:
Eugene Wigner showed how the deep symmetries of nature shape the behaviour of atoms and nuclei. His use of group theory became a standard tool of modern physics. He was one of the brilliant Hungarian scientists nicknamed 'the Martians'. He trained as a chemical engineer, which made him valuable in designing reactors during the war. His essay on the unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics is still widely read. He was famous for his extreme politeness.
Key Milestones
1930: Joins Princeton University
1931: Publishes his book on group theory and quantum mechanics
1942: Works on the first nuclear reactor
1963: Wins the Nobel Prize in Physics
Eugene Paul Wigner (Hungarian: Wigner Jenő Pál, pronounced; November 17, 1902 – January 1, 1995) was a Hungarian-American theoretical physicist who also contributed to mathematical physics.
