Ahmed Zewail

Date of Birth: February 26, 1946

Zodiac Sign: Pisces

Date of Death: August 2, 2016

Biography

Ahmed Zewail was an Egyptian-American scientist, known as the “father of femtochemistry,” a field that studies chemical reactions on extremely short timescales. He was born in Damanhur, Egypt, and later moved to the United States to pursue higher education. Zewail received his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and subsequently joined the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) as a professor. His pioneering work in femtochemistry earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1999. Throughout his career, Zewail made significant contributions to science and technology, and he was a strong advocate for the advancement of scientific education in the Arab world. He passed away in 2016, leaving behind a legacy of scientific innovation and educational advocacy.

5 Interesting Facts about Ahmed Zewail

1. Ahmed Zewail was the first Egyptian and the first Arab to win a Nobel Prize in a scientific field.

2. He held citizenships from both Egypt and the United States.

3. Zewail served as a Science Envoy to the Middle East for President Barack Obama.

4. He was a member of several prestigious scientific organizations, including the National Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society.

5. Zewail authored numerous books and over 600 scientific articles.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Ahmed Zewail

1. “In science, we are privileged to be able to study the world and understand how it works.”

2. “The joy of discovery is certainly the liveliest that the mind of man can ever feel.”

3. “Education is the cornerstone of liberty.”

4. “Science for me is very close to art; scientific discovery is an irrational act. It’s an intuition which turns out to be reality at the end of it.”

5. “Understanding the world at the atomic level is the key to understanding many of the phenomena around us.”