March Historical Events In Spectroscopy

by Leopold May, Catholic University

• March 1, 1956 - Formation of the Federation of Spectroscopic Societies, Pittsburgh, PA.
• March 6, 1787 - The birthday of Joseph von Fraunhofer who discovered the dark lines in the solar spectrum (Fraunhofer lines).
• March 7, 1792 - John F. W. Herschel, who is the inventor of photography on sensitized paper, was born on this day. He introduced the terms, positive & negative for use in photography.
• March 12, 1824 - Gustav R. Kirchhoff, born on this date, discovered that substances which emit radiation absorb the same type of radiation when cool (Kirchhoff's Law). With Robert Bunsen he invented the spectroscope in 1859, discovered cesium in 1860, and rubidium in 1861.
• March 12, 1902 - The birthdate of Leslie G. S. Brooker, who did research in the chemistry of photography.
• March 14, 1879 - Albert Einstein, who did research on the photochemical effect and the theory of relativity, was born on this date. In 1921, he received the Nobel Prize in Physics.
• March 16, 1834 - Hermann W. Vogel, who was born on this day, invented the orthochromatic photographic plate in 1873. He designed a photometer and did research in spectroscopic photography.
• March 20, 1908 - Bausch & Lomb incorporated as Bausch & Lomb Co., on this date.
• March 22, 1868 - Robert A. Millikan, who measured the charge/mass ratio of the electron, was born on this day. He received the Nobel Prize in 1923.
• March 29, 1955 - First meeting of the Baltimore-Washington Spectroscopy Society, now the Baltimore-Washington Section
• March 31, 1811 - This is the birthday of Robert Bunsen who invented the spectroscope with Gustav Kirchhoff in 1859. He also discovered cesium in 1860, and in 1861 rubidium. His other inventions were the bunsen burner, filter pump, a galvanic battery, and with Henry E. Roscoe, the actinometer.
• March 31, 1890 - W. Lawrence Bragg, a researcher in X-ray and crystal structure, was born on this day. He shared the Nobel Prize in 1915 with his father, William H. Bragg.
  

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