Wilhelm Röntgen Discovers X-Rays

On November 8, 1895, German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen discovered X-rays while conducting experiments with cathode rays at the University of Würzburg. He observed that a fluorescent screen glowed even though his cathode ray tube was shielded by black cardboard. On December 22, 1895, he produced the first medical X-ray by photographing his wife Anna Bertha Ludwig's hand, clearly showing her bones and wedding ring. For this groundbreaking discovery, which revolutionized both physics and medicine, Röntgen was awarded the first Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901.