Born: 25 May 1865 · Died: 9 October 1943 · Age at death: 78
How old was Pieter Zeeman when he died?
Pieter Zeeman died aged 78. He was born on 25 May 1865 and died on 9 October 1943.
Dutch physicist who discovered how magnetic fields affect light radiation
Did you know?A massive crater on the far side of the Moon was named in his honour.
Quick facts
Date of birth25 May 1865
Date of death9 October 1943
Age at death78
NationalityDutch
BirthplaceZonnemaire, Netherlands
Occupationphysicist, university teacher, photographer
Editor's Take:
Pieter Zeeman noticed that a magnetic field splits spectral lines into several parts. It was a small effect with enormous consequences. It gave evidence that light comes from moving charged particles inside atoms. Hendrik Lorentz quickly explained it with his electron theory, and the two shared a Nobel Prize. Astronomers later used the effect to measure magnetic fields on the Sun. It also became a key clue in the development of quantum theory.
Key Milestones
1893: Completes his doctorate at Leiden
1896: Discovers the Zeeman effect
1900: Becomes professor in Amsterdam
1902: Shares the Nobel Prize with Hendrik Lorentz
Pieter Zeeman (25 May 1865 – 9 October 1943) was a Dutch experimental physicist who shared the 1902 Nobel Prize in Physics with Hendrik Lorentz for their discovery and theoretical explanation of the Zeeman effect.
