ABSTRACT
The observation by Becquerel in 1896 of the fogging of photographic plates by uranium salts prompted an intense search for an understanding of the phenomenon of radioactivity. The scientific experimental persistence of the Curies, Schmidt, Debierne, Rutherford, Bohr, and Soddy led to the discoveries of radioactive isotopes and identification of the types of radiation emitted by these elements. The landmark publication of Bohr’s theory of atomic structure (1913) soon followed.a By 1942, Fermi prepared the schematics for the first nuclear reactor, five years after Rutherford’s death. Rutherford’s realization of the development of nuclear power until then remained unfulfilled. Since then, constructive research on the atomic nucleus has resulted in the means to harness this energy, not only for the production of electricity and nuclear weapons, but also for its application to the medical, pharmaceutical, chemical, and agricultural industries.
