Origins & Early Life

Brian Paul Schmidt (born 24 February 1967) is an American Australian astrophysicist at the Australian National University's Mount Stromlo Observatory and Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics. He was the Vice-Chancellor of the Australian National University (ANU) from January 2016 to January 2024. He is known for his research in using supernovae as cosmological probes. He previously held a Federation Fellowship and a Laureate Fellowship from the Australian Research Council, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 2012.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Schmidt shared both the 2006 Shaw Prize in Astronomy and the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics with Saul Perlmutter and Adam Riess for providing evidence that the expansion of the universe is accelerating. Schmidt, an only child, was born in Missoula, Montana, where his father Dana C. Schmidt was a fisheries biologist. When he was 13, his family relocated to Anchorage, Alaska. Schmidt attended Bartlett High School in Anchorage, Alaska, and graduated in 1985.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He has said that he wanted to be a meteorologist "since I was about five-years-old [but]... I did some work at the USA National Weather Service up in Anchorage and...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Aleksandr Karelin — Contemporary (Born in 1967) (1967): Dominant Greco-Roman wrestler, nicknamed the "Russian Bear", celebrated for unmatched Olympic success.
• Benicio del Toro — Contemporary (Born in 1967) (1967): Esteemed Puerto Rican actor known for intense, versatile performances.
• Carson McCullers — Contemporary (Died in 1967) (1967): American novelist known for Southern Gothic explorations of isolation and outcasts.
• Alain Mabanckou — Shared historical date (02-24 · Born) (1966): Congolese novelist and academic exploring contemporary Africa and the diaspora experience.
• Alberto Sordi — Shared historical date (02-24 · Died) (2003): Pillar of Italian Cinema, master of Commedia all'italiana comedy.
• Che Guevara — Historical peer (Died in 1967) (1967): Argentine Marxist revolutionary and key figure in the Cuban Revolution.
• Clement Attlee — Historical peer (Died in 1967) (1967): Key Labour politician who served as UK Prime Minister from 1945 to 1951.
• Abbas Kiarostami — Historical peer (Died in 2016) (2016): Master Iranian filmmaker known for blending fiction and documentary styles.
• Andrew Grove — Historical peer (Died in 2016) (2016): Visionary engineer and CEO who drove Intel to global semiconductor dominance.
• Alain Delon — Historical peer (Died in 2024) (2024): Iconic French actor, producer, and cinematic leading man of the 20th century.
• 1967 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1967
• February 24 (02-24) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on February 24