Edwin Mattison McMillan

Edwin Mattison McMillan was born on September 18, 1907, in Redondo Beach, California, USA. Edwin McMillan would grow up to become a renowned physicist and a laureate of the Nobel Prize. He is best known for his work on the transuranium elements, which are chemical elements that have atomic numbers greater than that of uranium (92).

In June 1928, Edwin McMillan graduated from the California Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science degree. This marked the beginning of his journey in the field of physics, which would eventually lead him to significant scientific discoveries and contributions.

In 1932, Edwin McMillan earned his PhD from Princeton University. His doctoral studies in physics under the guidance of Edward Condon prepared him for his future work in nuclear physics and the study of transuranium elements. Princeton provided him with a rigorous education that was foundational to his later achievements.

On February 27, 1940, Edwin McMillan, along with Philip Abelson, discovered the element neptunium at the University of California, Berkeley. Neptunium is the first transuranium element (atomic number 93) and was discovered by bombarding uranium with neutrons. This discovery was a major milestone in the field of nuclear chemistry and expanded the periodic table, opening up new avenues for research in nuclear physics.

In 1945, Edwin McMillan was involved with Operation Crossroads, a series of nuclear tests conducted by the United States at Bikini Atoll in mid-1946. Prior to these tests, McMillan worked during World War II at the Los Alamos Laboratory in New Mexico, contributing to the development of atomic weapons.

On December 10, 1951, Edwin McMillan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry jointly with Glenn T. Seaborg for their discoveries in the chemistry of transuranium elements. McMillan's pioneering research led to the identification of neptunium and played a significant role in extending the periodic table and understanding heavy elements.

In 1958, Edwin McMillan became the director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, a position he held until 1973. During his tenure, McMillan was responsible for overseeing numerous advancements in particle physics and nuclear research, maintaining the lab's position at the forefront of scientific innovation and technology development during a pivotal era of scientific inquiry.

In 1961, work initiated under Edwin McMillan's leadership contributed to the discovery of element 103, later named lawrencium in honor of Ernest O. Lawrence, the inventor of the cyclotron. Lawrencium, a synthetic element, was part of the ongoing expansion of the periodic table, which McMillan's previous discoveries significantly impacted. This discovery was important in nuclear chemistry and for understanding actinide series.

Edwin McMillan retired in 1980 after over two decades of service as director at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. His leadership had seen the lab through rapid advances in scientific research, particularly in nuclear and particle physics, and his legacy continued to influence subsequent research directions and organizational focus at the lab.

Edwin Mattison McMillan passed away on September 7, 1991, in El Cerrito, California, USA. His death marked the end of an era of pioneering advancements in nuclear chemistry and physics. McMillan's contributions to science, particularly his work on the discovery of transuranium elements, left a lasting impact on the scientific community and provided a foundation for ongoing research in high-energy physics and chemistry.