Origins & Early Life

Willard Frank Libby (December 17, 1908 – September 8, 1980) was an American physical chemist noted for his role in the 1949 development of radiocarbon dating, a process which revolutionized archaeology and palaeontology. For his contributions to the team that developed this process, Libby was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1960. A 1931 chemistry graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, from which he received his doctorate in 1933, he studied radioactive elements and developed sensitive Geiger counters to measure weak natural and artificial radioactivity. During World War II he worked in the Manhattan Project's Substitute Alloy Materials (SAM) Laboratories at Columbia University, developing the gaseous diffusion process for uranium enrichment.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

After the war, Libby accepted a professorship at the University of Chicago's Institute for Nuclear Studies, where he developed the technique for dating organic compounds using carbon-14. He also discovered that tritium similarly could be used for dating water, and therefore wine. In 1950, he became a member of the General Advisory Committee (GAC) of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). He was appointed a commissioner in 1954...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

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

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Abraham Maslow — Contemporary (Born in 1908) (1908): Pioneering American psychologist known for the Hierarchy of Needs and self-actualization theory.
• Bette Davis — Contemporary (Born in 1908) (1908): Iconic Hollywood actress known for intense, unsympathetic, and sardonic performances.
• Butch Cassidy — Contemporary (Died in 1908) (1908): Iconic American outlaw, leader of the 'Wild Bunch' in the Old West.
• Abby Wambach — Contemporary (Born in 1980) (1980): Iconic American soccer forward, celebrated for her goal-scoring prowess and longevity.
• Adande Thorne — Contemporary (Born in 1980) (1980): Trinidadian-American YouTuber, animator, comedian, and actor known as Swoozie.
• Alejo Carpentier — Contemporary (Died in 1980) (1980): Influential Cuban novelist, essayist, and musicologist of the Latin American Boom.
• 13th Dalai Lama — Shared historical date (12-17 · Died) (1933): Spiritual leader of Tibet who championed national independence and modernization.
• Bernard Lonergan — Shared historical date (12-17 · Born) (1904): Influential Canadian Jesuit philosopher and theologian of the 20th century.
• Aage Bohr — Shared historical date (09-08 · Died) (2009): Pioneering Danish nuclear physicist, Nobel laureate for atomic structure theory.
• Alfred Jarry — Shared historical date (09-08 · Born) (1873): Pioneering French symbolist writer, known for Ubu Roi and coining 'pataphysics'
• 1908 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1908
• December 17 (12-17) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on December 17
• 1980 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1980
• September 8 (09-08) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on September 8