University of
Wurzburg scientist who discovered
x-rays on November 8,
1895. They were coming from a
Hittorf-Crookes tube. For this he was awarded the first
Nobel Prize in
physics in
1901. He refused to take out a
patent on his discovery.
Unfortunately, he liked to demonstrate x-rays by holding his hand in a beam of them and died of radiation exposure. Maybe the first, definitely not the last. For a time x-rays were used in shoe stores so people could see how well their shoes fit