Voting Station

Otto Hahn

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Scientist

The Resume

    (March 8, 1879-July 28, 1968)
    Born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
    Discovered nuclear fission (December 17, 1938)
    Received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1944)

Why he might be annoying:

    During World War I, he worked in Fritz Haber's chemical warfare unit.
    He was accused of downplaying Lise Meitner's contribution to the discovery of fission, possibly costing her a share of the Nobel Prize.
    His discovery made nuclear weapons possible.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He resigned from the University of Berlin to protest the firing of Jewish colleagues (1934).
    He and his wife Edith collected groceries for Jewish families in hiding.
    He was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his campaigning against nuclear weapons testing.
    In a poll of scientists by the magazine Focus, he was named the third most important scientist of the 20th century, behind Einstein and Max Planck.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 10 Votes: 70.0% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 6 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 16 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 28 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 27 Votes: 51.85% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 11 Votes: 72.73% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 31 Votes: 45.16% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 19 Votes: 31.58% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 26 Votes: 30.77% Annoying
    In 2007, Out of 35 Votes: 65.71% Annoying