World War II Biographies | J. Robert Oppenheimer Biography

Born April 22, 1904
New York, New York
Died February 18, 1967
Princeton, New Jersey
American physicist

J. Robert Oppenheimer's brilliant research in the field of quantum mechanics (the study of the energy of atomic particles) led to his selection as the director of the weapons laboratory at Los Alamos, New Mexico. There, scientists from all over the world worked secretly to develop a powerful atomic bomb that, it was hoped, would end World War II. Oppenheimer was known not only for the important role he played in the Manhattan Project, but also for his work as a researcher and teacher. After the war, he advised the government on how best to use nuclear energy and weapons.