Origins & Early Life

Heinrich Rohrer (6 June 1933 – 16 May 2013) was a Swiss physicist who shared half of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physics with Gerd Binnig for the design of the scanning tunneling microscope (STM). The other half of the Prize was awarded to Ernst Ruska. The Heinrich Rohrer Medal is presented triennially by the Surface Science Society of Japan with IBM Research – Zurich, Swiss Embassy in Japan, and Ms. Rohrer in his memory.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

The medal is not to be confused with the Heinrich Rohrer Award presented at the Nano Seoul 2020 conference. Heinrich Rohrer was born on 6 June 1933 in Buchs, St. Gallen, half an hour after his twin sister. He enjoyed a carefree country childhood until the family moved to Zürich in 1949. He enrolled in the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in 1951, where he was student of Wolfgang Pauli and Paul Scherrer.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

His PhD thesis was supervised by P. Grassmann who worked on cryogenic engineering. Rohrer measured the length changes of superconductors at the magnetic-field-induced superconducting transition, a project begun by Jørgen Lykke Olsen. In the course of his research, he found that he had to do most of his research at night after the city was asleep...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Adolph Caesar — Contemporary (Born in 1933) (1933): Acclaimed American actor known for his deep voice and Off-Broadway staple status.
• Akihito — Contemporary (Born in 1933) (1933): 125th Emperor of Japan; reigned during the Heisei era (1989-2019).
• Arno Allan Penzias — Contemporary (Born in 1933) (1933): Pioneering radio astronomer known for discovering cosmic microwave background radiation.
• Bernadette Lafont — Contemporary (Died in 2013) (2013): Iconic French actress, celebrated for her role in the New Wave movement.
• Bobby Bland — Contemporary (Died in 2013) (2013): Pioneering blues and soul artist known for tempestuous arias of love and betrayal.
• Boris Berezovsky (businessman) — Contemporary (Died in 2013) (2013): Russian oligarch and businessman known for accumulating vast wealth through privatization.
• Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour — Shared historical date (06-06 · Died) (1861): Leading statesman instrumental in the unification of Italy and Prime Minister of Sardinia.
• Carl Jung — Shared historical date (06-06 · Died) (1961): Pioneering analytical psychology, Jung developed the theory of archetypes and the collective unconscious.
• Andy Kaufman — Shared historical date (05-16 · Died) (1984): Pioneering performance artist known for anti-comedy and character work.
• Bronisław Malinowski — Shared historical date (05-16 · Died) (1942): Pioneering anthropologist known for intensive fieldwork and functionalist theory.
• 1933 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1933
• June 6 (06-06) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on June 6
• 2013 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 2013
• May 16 (05-16) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on May 16