5 Nobel laureates born in Ukraine who achieved global fame
Nobel Prize medal (Photo: Getty Images)
Although there are no Nobel Prize winners among citizens of modern independent Ukraine, this does not mean that the highest scientific award has never been given to Ukrainians. Who among Nobel laureates had Ukrainian roots?
Here are five scientists who had Ukrainian origins and won the Nobel Prize.
Ilya Mechnikov (Nobel Prize in Medicine, 1908)
Ilya Mechnikov, a prominent bacteriologist and immunologist, was born on May 15, 1845, in the village of Ivanivka, Kharkiv region. He spent more than 40 years of his life in Ukraine, where he studied and made his first scientific discoveries.
His key contribution to science was the discovery of phagocytosis, a process by which immune system cells destroy harmful bacteria. In 1908, Mechnikov received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine alongside Paul Ehrlich for their research in the field of immunity.
Mechnikov was awarded the prize as a subject of the Russian Empire, but he always acknowledged his Ukrainian roots.
Ilya Mechnikov (Photo: Wikipedia)
Selman Waksman (Nobel Prize in Medicine, 1952)
Selman Waksman, born in the town of Pryluky, Chernihiv region, was a distinguished microbiologist whose contribution to the fight against tuberculosis made him world-famous. He emigrated to the United States in 1911 but never forgot his Ukrainian heritage.
In 1952, he received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of streptomycin, the first effective antibiotic for the treatment of tuberculosis. Waksman made significant contributions to medicine, and his discoveries saved millions of lives.
Selman Waksman (Photo: Wikipedia)
Roald Hoffmann (Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1981)
Roald Hoffmann was born on July 18, 1937, in the town of Zolochiv, Lviv region. In his childhood, he and his mother had to hide from Nazi occupiers during World War II. After the war, Hoffmann emigrated to the United States, where he became a leading expert in quantum chemistry.
In 1981, he received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry along with Kenichi Fukui for developing the theory of chemical reactions. Although he was awarded as a US citizen, Hoffmann always fondly remembered Ukraine, which he called "the promised land of my heart."
Roald Hoffmann (Photo: Wikipedia)
Simon Kuznets (Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, 1971)
Simon Kuznets was born in 1901 in Kharkiv and spent much of his childhood in Ukraine. He emigrated to the United States, where he became one of the most influential economists of the 20th century.
In 1971, Kuznets received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his empirically grounded theory of economic growth. His works helped to better understand economic and social processes, and his research became the foundation for many modern economic models.
Memorial plaque in Kharkiv in honor of Simon Kuznets (photo: Wikipedia)
Georges Charpak (Nobel Prize in Physics, 1992)
Georges Charpak was born on August 1, 1924, in the town of Dubrovytsia, Rivne region. During World War II, he emigrated to France, where he made a significant contribution to particle physics. In 1992, Charpak received the Nobel Prize in Physics for the invention of particle detectors, particularly the so-called "Charpak chambers."
His discoveries greatly improved methods for studying subatomic particles, which became an important step in the development of modern physics. Charpak always kept warm memories of Ukraine, where he spent his childhood.
Georges Charpak (photo: Wikipedia)
Previously, we wrote about who won the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 2024.
Sources: websites of the National Technical University of Ukraine, the Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine, Wikipedia.
