The Resume

(September 30, 1882-September 24, 1945)
Born in Neustadt-an-der-Haardt, Germany
Physicist
Invented the Geiger counter to measure ionizing radiation (1911; improved version invented in 1928)

Why he might be annoying:

The final version of the Geiger counter was co-developed with Walther Muller, who got shafted during the naming of the invention.
He turned his back on his Jewish colleagues when the Nazis came to power.
He worked on Nazi Germany's program to develop an atomic bomb.

Why he might not be annoying:

He performed the series of experiments that enabled Ernest Rutherford to discover the existence of the atomic nucleus.
He helped write a petition signed by 75 physicists asking the Nazi government to stop interfering with science (1936).
He lost most of his possessions at the end of World War II when his home was occupied by Soviet soldiers.

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• 20th Century Scientists
• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 31]
• Celebrities Born on the Same Date [September] (Ranked: 9301882)
• I Died in 1945 (Ranked: 62)
• I Earned a Doctorate
• Inventors
• Profiles 29751-30000 (Ranked: 29893)
• Scientists

Year In Review:

For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 9 Votes: 88.89% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 5 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 13 Votes: 53.85% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 8 Votes: 62.50% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 6 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 12 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2013, Out of 18 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2012, Out of 16 Votes: 43.75% Annoying
In 2011, Out of 19 Votes: 47.37% Annoying
In 2010, Out of 21 Votes: 57.14% Annoying