Otto Hahn
(1879-1969)
German chemist. He discovered a new radioactive substance called radio thorium and a new radioactive element called protactinium. In 1938 he observed the bombardment of uranium by neutrons and realized that the uranium atoms were splitting to produce radioactive atoms of the lighter element, barium. The process was later named nuclear fission and Hahn was awarded the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1944.
