HEROES OF… SCIENCE
Wilhelm Röntgen
This man’s accidental discovery provided medicine with a vital tool for diagnosing disease
Wilhelm Röntgen was a mechanical engineer and physicist
A museum dedicated to Wilhelm Röntgen can be found in his hometown, Remscheid
Born an only child into a family of cloth merchants and traders, Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen was set to follow a different career to the trade passed down through generations of his family.
Despite his eventual global recognition as a scientific mastermind, this wasn’t necessarily the impression he gave out during his time in education. He was known to miss classes, and for much of his time at university would rather be outside exploring than inside studying. Luckily a professor helped him to understand the importance of his exams, and Röntgen attained the degree that those close to him thought he wouldn’t manage to achieve.