Origins & Early Life

Eric Allin Cornell (born December 19, 1961) is an American physicist who, along with Carl E. Wieman, synthesized the first Bose–Einstein condensate in 1995. Cornell, Wieman and Wolfgang Ketterle shared the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physics “for the achievement of Bose-Einstein condensation in dilute gases of alkali atoms, and for early fundamental studies of the properties of the condensates”. Cornell was born in Palo Alto, California, where his parents were completing graduate degrees at nearby Stanford University.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Two years later he moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where his father was a professor of civil engineering at MIT. Here he grew up with his younger brother and sister, with year-long stints in Berkeley, California, and Lisbon, Portugal, accompanying his father whilst on sabbatical. In Cambridge he attended Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. The year before his graduation he moved back to California with his mother and finished high school at San Francisco's Lowell High School, a local magnet school for academically talented students. After high school he enrolled at Stanford University, where he was to meet his future wife, Celeste Landry.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

As an undergraduate...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Aaron Sorkin — Contemporary (Born in 1961) (1961): Master of fast-paced dialogue, known for 'walk and talk' storytelling.
• Barack Obama — Contemporary (Born in 1961) (1961): 44th U.S. President, first African American to hold the office.
• Barry Fitzgerald — Contemporary (Died in 1961) (1961): Esteemed Irish actor known for his versatile stage and screen performances.
• Al-Ghazali — Shared historical date (12-19 · Died) (1111): Influential Sunni polymath, theologian, and mystic of the 11th century.
• Alan Eustace — Shared historical date (12-19 · Born) (1956): Pioneering computer scientist known for his work at Google and record-breaking space dive.
• Billy Ray Cyrus — Historical peer (Born in 1961) (1961): American country singer and actor known for "Achy Breaky Heart" and "Old Town Road" resurgence.
• Camryn Manheim — Historical peer (Born in 1961) (1961): American actress known for roles in television dramas and comedies.
• Adolfo Pedernera — Historical peer (Died in 1995) (1995): Argentine football legend, nicknamed 'El Maestro,' pivotal in the 1940s.
• Alexander Knox — Historical peer (Died in 1995) (1995): Esteemed Canadian actor and writer, known for dramatic roles and literary contributions.
• Aaliyah — Historical peer (Died in 2001) (2001): Pioneering R&B artist known for redefining urban pop and hip hop sounds.
• 1961 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1961
• December 19 (12-19) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on December 19