Origins & Early Life

Heike Kamerlingh Onnes (Dutch: [ˈɦɛikə ˈkaːmərlɪŋ ˈɔnəs]; 21 September 1853 – 21 February 1926) was a Dutch experimental physicist who became the first to liquefy helium, cooling it to near 1.5 kelvin (K). For this work, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1913. In 1911, using liquid helium to investigate the electrical conductivity of solid mercury, Kamerlingh Onnes found that its electrical resistance vanishes at 4.2 K, i.e. superconductivity.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Heike Kamerlingh Onnes was born on 21 September 1853 in Groningen, Netherlands, the son of Anna Gerdina (née Coers) and Harm Kamerlingh Onnes, a brickworks owner. In 1870, he entered the University of Groningen, where he obtained a candidate degree the following year. From 1871 to 1873, he studied under Robert Bunsen and Gustav Kirchhoff at the University of Heidelberg. He then returned to the University of Groningen, earning the title doctorandus in 1878. In 1879, he received a Doctor of Philosophy for a thesis on Earth's rotation.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In 1878, Kamerlingh Onnes became an assistant to Johannes Bosscha, the Director of the Delft Polytechnic, for whom he substituted as a lecturer in 1881 and 1882. In 1882, he succeeded Pieter...

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