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Niels H.D. Bohr was born in Copenhagen on October 7, 1885. His father was a professor of Physiology at Copenhagen University, fostering a foundation to build his genius.
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After the completion of grammar school, Bohr attended Copenhagen University, where he met his mentor Professor C. Christiansen a well-known physicist. He received his Master's degree in Physics in 1909 and Doctorate in 1911 at the age of 26. Six years later, Bohr became a professor of the Theoretical Physics department and then headed the department for the next 42 years.
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At the age of 37, Bohr was awarded the 1922 Nobel Prize for Physics for his "research and contribution to the atomic structure of an atom." ("Niels Bohr." [Atomic Heritage Foundation]) He then continued his work with Werner Heisenberg on quantum mechanics with light being seen in a particle and wave. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhAn8xZQ-d8
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WWII forced Bohr to leave Europe and travel to the United States. While he was there, he started his work on the Manhattan Project to create the first atomic bomb. https://www.youtube.com/watch?]v=4IqKdf6In_k
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After the destructive use of this technology ended the war, Bohr returned to Europe and tried to call for "peaceful applications of atomic energy" ("Niels Bohr." [Biography.com]). He established the Atoms for Peace Conference for the responsible use of atomic energy. President Dwight D. Eisenhower awarded him the Atoms for Peace Award for his efforts.
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By his death, at the age of 77, he had published over 100 documents. One of his sons shared the 1975 Nobel Prize in Physics for the motion of atomic nuclei following in his father's footsteps.
