Origins & Early Life

Hideki Yukawa (Japanese: 湯川 秀樹; né Ogawa; 23 January 1907 – 8 September 1981) was a Japanese theoretical physicist who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1949 "for his prediction of the existence of mesons on the basis of theoretical work on nuclear forces." Hideki Ogawa was born on 23 January 1907 in Tokyo, Japan, the third son of Takuji Ogawa, and grew up in Kyoto, where his father became Professor of Geology at Kyoto Imperial University. He read the Confucian Doctrine of the Mean, and later Lao-Tzu and Chuang-Tzu. His father, for a time, considered sending him to technical college rather than university since he was "not as outstanding a student as his older brothers." However, when his father broached the idea with his middle school principal, the principal praised his "high potential" in mathematics and offered to adopt Ogawa himself in order to keep him on a scholarly career. At that, his father relented.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Ogawa decided against becoming a mathematician when his high school teacher marked his exam answer as incorrect when Ogawa proved a theorem but in a different manner than the teacher expected. He decided against a career in experimental physics...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

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

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• 1907 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1907
• January 23 (01-23) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on January 23
• 1981 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1981
• September 8 (09-08) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on September 8