Photo: The American Institute of Physics credits the photo [1] to AB Lagrelius & Westphal, which is the Swedish company used by the Nobel Foundation for most photos of its book series Les Prix Nobel. / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Niels Bohr is, to me, one of those rare giants whose human side is as compelling as his genius. Yes, he cracked open the structure of the atom and won the 1922 Nobel Prize, but I'm drawn to the man who once played football, who gathered young physicists from across the world and forged a generation through relentless argument. His long debates with Einstein weren't about winning — they were a grindstone for sharpening truth. Having a gold medal and an entire institute bear your name is staggering. What I'd most like to borrow is his evident joy in not yet knowing the answer.
Overview
Niels Henrik David Bohr (; Danish: [ˈne̝ls ˈpoɐ̯ˀ]; 7 October 1885 – 18 November 1962) was a Danish theoretical physicist who made foundational contributions to understanding atomic structure and quantum theory, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922. He was also a philosopher and a promoter of scientific research.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Niels Bohr
- Name (Japanese)
- ニールス・ボーア
- Reading
- にーるす・ぼーあ
- Born
- October 7, 1885 – November 18, 1962
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Libra / Rooster
- Origin
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- university teacher / nuclear physicist / philosopher of science / association football player / chemist
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- University of Copenhagen
Awards & achievements
- 1922 Nobel Prize in Physics
- 1926 Franklin Medal
- 1947 Order of the Elephant
- 1957 Atoms for Peace Award
- 1954 Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order
- 1955 Niels Bohr International Gold Medal
- 1938 Copley Medal
- 1930 Faraday Lectureship Prize
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Bohr model | — | |
| Notable work | correspondence principle | — |
6. Links
University teacher — see all → · More people from Denmark →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.