J. Robert Oppenheimer
At a glance:
- Series: Dictionary of World Biography: Twentieth Century
- Categories: Science
- Subcategories: Scientists, Physics, Physicists, Nuclear Weapons, Power, Radiation
- Curriculum: American History 1901-1950, American History 1951-present
Article abstract: As director of the Los Alamos Laboratories, Oppenheimer was in charge of the team of scientists who developed the nation’s first nuclear weapons.
Early Life
J. Robert Oppenheimer was born April 22, 1904, in New York City, the firstborn son of wealthy Jewish parents. Oppenheimer and his younger brother Frank were educated at the New York Society for Ethical Culture, where Oppenheimer became interested in science and literature. An aloof, serious young boy, he did poorly in sports but loved sailing and horseback riding.
In 1922,...
[The entire page is 1716 words long]
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