Origins & Early Life

Karl Barry Sharpless (born April 28, 1941) is an American stereochemist. He is a two-time Nobel laureate in chemistry, known for his work on stereoselective reactions and click chemistry. Sharpless was awarded half of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his work on chirally catalysed oxidation reactions", and one third of the 2022 prize, jointly with Carolyn R. Bertozzi and Morten P.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Meldal, "for the development of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry". Sharpless is the fifth person (in addition to two organizations) to have twice been awarded a Nobel prize, along with Marie Curie, John Bardeen, Linus Pauling and Frederick Sanger, and the third to have been awarded two prizes in the same discipline (after Bardeen and Sanger). Sharpless was born April 28, 1941, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His childhood was filled with summers at his family cottage on the Manasquan River in New Jersey. This is where Sharpless developed a love for fishing that he would continue throughout his life, spending summers in college working on fishing boats.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He graduated from Friends' Central School in 1959, and continued his studies at Dartmouth College, earning an...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Adnan Khayr Allah — Contemporary (Born in 1941) (1941): Iraqi military officer and former Minister of Defense, closely connected to the ruling family.
• Alan Mullery — Contemporary (Born in 1941) (1941): Iconic English footballer and manager known for his time at Fulham and Spurs.
• Alfonso XIII — Contemporary (Died in 1941) (1941): King of Spain (1886-1931), whose reign spanned constitutional crises and republican upheaval.
• Ann-Margret — Shared historical date (04-28 · Born) (1941): Swedish-American actress, dancer, and singer with a seven-decade career.
• António de Oliveira Salazar — Shared historical date (04-28 · Born) (1889): Portuguese academic and economist who established the authoritarian Estado Novo regime.
• Ali Hassan al-Majid — Historical peer (Born in 1941) (1941): Notorious Iraqi military figure, cousin of Saddam Hussein, known for brutal repression.
• Art Garfunkel — Historical peer (Born in 1941) (1941): Iconic voice of folk-rock, renowned for his partnership with Paul Simon.
• Aaliyah — Historical peer (Died in 2001) (2001): Pioneering R&B artist known for redefining urban pop and hip hop sounds.
• Anthony Gordon (footballer) — Historical peer (Born in 2001) (2001): English professional footballer known for his time at Everton, Newcastle, and Barcelona.
• Aaron Carter — Historical peer (Died in 2022) (2022): American singer and rapper known for teen pop stardom and enduring musical career.
• 1941 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1941
• April 28 (04-28) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on April 28