Origins & Early Life

Hersz Georges Charpak (French: [ʒɔʁʒ ʃaʁpak]; 1 August 1924 – 29 September 2010) was a Polish-born French physicist who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1992 for his invention of the multiwire proportional chamber. Georges Charpak was born on 1 August 1924 to Jewish parents, Chana (Szapiro) and Maurice Charpak, in the village of Dąbrowica in Poland (now Dubrovytsia in Ukraine). Charpak's family moved from Poland to Paris when he was seven years old, beginning his study of mathematics in 1941 at the Lycée Saint-Louis. The actor and film director André Charpak was his younger brother.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

During World War II Charpak served in the resistance and was imprisoned by Vichy authorities in 1943. In 1944 he was deported to the Nazi concentration camp at Dachau, where he remained until the camp was liberated in 1945. After classes préparatoires studies at Lycée Saint-Louis in Paris and later at Lycée Joffre in Montpellier, he joined in 1945 the Paris-based École des Mines, one of the most prestigious engineering schools in France. The following year he became a naturalized French citizen. He graduated in 1948, earning the French degree of Civil Engineer of Mines (Ingénieur Civil des...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• 1924 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1924
• August 1 (08-01) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on August 1
• 2010 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 2010
• September 29 (09-29) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on September 29