Voting Station

Wilhelm Roentgen

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Scientist

The Resume

    (March 27, 1845-February 10, 1923)
    Born in Lennep, Germany
    Discovered x-rays (1895)
    Won the first Nobel Prize for physics (1901)
    Element 111 was named roentgenium in his honor (2004)

Why he might be annoying:

    He was expelled from school.
    He planned to emigrate to the US and had accepted a position at Columbia University, but the outbreak of World War I forced him to change his plans.
    In his will, he ordered his lab notes destroyed, resulting in conflicting accounts of how he discovered x-rays.
    After he took an x-ray of his wife's hand and she saw her skeleton, she exclaimed, 'I have seen my own death!'

Why he might not be annoying:

    X-rays quickly became an important diagnostic tool.
    He was one the few pioneers studying radioactivity to routinely use lead shields for protection.
    He refused to take out a patent on x-rays.
    He donated the monetary award from his Nobel Prize to the University of Munich.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 10 Votes: 30.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 9 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 3 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 7 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 15 Votes: 53.33% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 23 Votes: 52.17% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 52 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 8 Votes: 37.50% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 6 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 26 Votes: 34.62% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 34 Votes: 35.29% Annoying