May 11

Johann Friedrich Blumenbach was a pioneering German physician and naturalist. He served as a professor at the University of Göttingen for over five decades. His groundbreaking work in comparative anatomy laid the foundations for physical anthropology. In 1795, he introduced one of the first systematic classifications of human races. His influential treatise 'On the Natural Variety of Mankind' shaped early ethnological studies. Blumenbach amassed an important anatomical and zoological collection, now housed at Göttingen. He advocated for the unity of human species despite physical differences. His interdisciplinary approach bridged medicine, physiology, and anthropology. He died in 1840, leaving a rich legacy in the biological sciences.

Frank Schlesinger was an American astronomer renowned for pioneering photographic methods in astrometry. Born in Washington, D.C., he earned his doctorate at Columbia University before joining the U.S. Naval Observatory. Schlesinger developed techniques to photograph star fields, dramatically improving precision in stellar positions. In 1920, he became director of the Yale Observatory, overseeing major cataloguing projects. He served as president of the International Astronomical Union and wrote influential texts on observational astronomy. His work laid the groundwork for modern photographic and, later, electronic sky surveys. Schlesinger passed away in 1943, leaving a lasting legacy in astronomical instrumentation.

Born in 1881 in Budapest, Theodore von Kármán became a founding figure of modern aerospace science. After earning his doctorate in engineering, he conducted pioneering research on airflow, supersonic motion, and turbulence. Von Kármán emigrated to the United States in 1930, helped establish the Guggenheim Aeronautical Laboratory at Caltech, and advised the US Air Force during World War II. As the first director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, he guided early rocket and jet propulsion efforts. He authored influential texts that shaped aeronautical engineering education for generations. His legacy endures in awards, laboratories, and the von Kármán vortex street phenomenon bearing his name.

Richard Feynman was one of the most influential physicists of the 20th century, co-recipient of the 1965 Nobel Prize in Physics. He developed the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics and introduced Feynman diagrams to visualize particle interactions. Feynman contributed to the Manhattan Project and later taught at Cornell and Caltech, inspiring students with his lectures. Beyond research, he was a gifted educator, authoring popular science books like 'Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!'. His curiosity-driven approach and charismatic personality made him a cultural icon in science.

Antony Hewish was an English astronomer whose pioneering work in radio astronomy led to the discovery of pulsars in 1967. For this achievement, he shared the 1974 Nobel Prize in Physics for his decisive role in opening new windows on the universe. Hewish spent much of his career at the University of Cambridge, mentoring generations of astronomers. His development of sensitive radio telescope techniques transformed observational astronomy. Hewish's legacy endures in the study of neutron stars and cosmic phenomena.

Gene Savoy was an American explorer and scholar who led groundbreaking expeditions in the Andes of Peru. He claimed the discovery of several Inca sites including Vilcabamba and Pacariqtambo, revitalizing interest in ancient Andean history. Savoy founded the Institute of Andean Studies to promote research and preservation of pre-Columbian cultures. An accomplished author, he published books detailing his discoveries and theories on indigenous civilizations. His work sparked public fascination with South American archaeology and anthropology.

Edsger W. Dijkstra was a trailblazing Dutch computer scientist and academic known for formulating Dijkstra's algorithm, a fundamental graph-based shortest path solution. He championed structured programming and contributed significantly to programming language design, software engineering, and system stability. Dijkstra received the Turing Award in 1972 for his profound influence on computer science. He held faculty positions at renowned institutions including the University of Texas and Eindhoven University of Technology. His writings and lectures continue to inspire generations of computer scientists until his passing in 2002.