Biography of Famous Scientist Georges Lemaître
Georges Lemaître: Priest, Physicist, and Cosmologist
Early Life:
Georges Henri Joseph Édouard Lemaître was born on July 17, 1894, in Charleroi, Belgium. His father worked in the textile industry, and Lemaître showed an early interest in both science and religion. He attended the Jesuit Collège du Sacré-Cœur in Charleroi, where he excelled in mathematics and physics. In 1911, he entered the Catholic University of Leuven to study engineering.
World War I and Priesthood:
When World War I broke out, Lemaître interrupted his studies to enlist in the Belgian army. After the war, he resumed his studies at Leuven and earned a degree in civil engineering in 1920. However, he had also developed a strong interest in astronomy and physics. Despite his engineering background, he decided to pursue a career in the priesthood and entered the seminary.
In 1923, Lemaître was ordained as a Catholic priest. He continued his studies in physics and astronomy, obtaining a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1927.
Cosmic Ray Research:
Upon returning to Belgium, Lemaître began conducting research on cosmic rays at the University of Leuven. He published several papers on the subject and gained recognition for his contributions to the emerging field of high-energy particle physics.
Expansion of the Universe:
Lemaître’s most significant contribution came in the field of cosmology. In 1927, he published a paper in the Annales de la Société Scientifique de Bruxelles in which he proposed the idea of an expanding universe. He used Einstein’s theory of general relativity to suggest that the universe was expanding from an initial state of extremely high density, which he called the “primeval atom.”
This idea laid the groundwork for the Big Bang theory, although Lemaître’s work initially received less attention than that of other scientists. It was only later, when Edwin Hubble’s observations supported the concept of an expanding universe, that Lemaître’s contribution gained broader recognition.
Academic Career and Priestly Duties:
In addition to his scientific work, Lemaître served as a professor at the Catholic University of Leuven and continued to pursue his priestly duties. He became a prominent figure in the Belgian scientific community and maintained connections with international researchers.
Honors and Recognition:
Georges Lemaître’s contributions to cosmology were eventually recognized, and he received numerous honors. In 1934, he was elected a member of the Royal Academy of Sciences and Arts of Belgium. He also received the Francqui Prize, a prestigious Belgian scientific award, in 1934.
Later Years and Death:
During World War II, Lemaître served in the Belgian army and then resumed his academic and priestly duties after the war. In 1960, Pope John XXIII appointed him as a domestic prelate, a recognition of his contributions to both science and the church.
Georges Lemaître passed away on June 20, 1966, in Leuven, Belgium. His groundbreaking ideas about the expanding universe and the Big Bang laid the foundation for modern cosmology, and he is remembered as one of the key figures in the development of our understanding of the origin of the universe.