Lise Meitner. © 2016 Atomic Heritage Foundation

Hiroshima and Nagasaki are unfortunate moments in history that were made possible by the discovery and harnessing of nuclear fission. In the simplest terms, nuclear fission is the splitting of an atom which releases large amounts of energy.  Otto Hahn, a German chemist, unintentionally discovered nuclear fission and subsequently in 1944 won a Nobel Prize.  This prestigious award was great for Otto Hahn, but lurking in the shadows was another name that many feel should have been acknowledged as well.

Austrian born Lise Meitner was raised in a large family in the late 19th century. Her family was supportive of her predilection for science and in 1907 she received her PhD from the University of Vienna. Throughout her research, she formed a decades long collaboration with Otto Hahn, which was cut short due to her being exiled during WWII. Lise Meitner learned of Hahn splitting an atom and began conducting her own tests with her nephew. They were able to make sense of Hahn’s findings and thus nuclear fission was realized.

Lise Meitner was born in 1878 and died in 1968 at 89. Her illustrious career was filled with many scientific contributions that remain vital in the scientific community.