Born: 28 February 1901 · Died: 19 August 1994 · Age: 93
American chemist who explained chemical bonds and won two unshared Nobel Prizes, for Chemistry and for Peace
Did you know?He is the only person to have ever won two unshared Nobel Prizes, receiving awards for both Chemistry and Peace.
Quick facts
Date of birth28 February 1901
Date of death19 August 1994
Age at death93
Cause of deathProstate cancer
NationalityAmerican
BirthplacePortland, United States
Occupationchemist, physicist, Esperantist
Editor's Take:
Linus Pauling is the only person to win two unshared Nobel Prizes. He grew up in Oregon and worked odd jobs to fund his studies after his father died. He applied quantum physics to chemistry, explaining how atoms bond together. His book The Nature of the Chemical Bond became a classic. He also discovered the protein alpha helix and showed sickle-cell anaemia was a molecular disease. After the war he campaigned against nuclear weapons testing, and the US government took away his passport for a time. He won the Nobel Peace Prize for that campaign.
Key Milestones
1939: The Nature of the Chemical Bond – published
1949: Sickle-cell anaemia – molecular cause
1951: Alpha helix – protein structure
1954: Nobel Prize – Chemistry
Linus Carl Pauling ( PAW-ling; February 28, 1901 – August 19, 1994) was an American chemist and peace activist. He published more than 1,200 papers and books, of which about 850 dealt with scientific topics.
