Famous Inventors Born in September!

Frederick Soddy

Date of Birth: September 2, 1877

British chemist who won the Nobel Prize for his work on radioactivity due to the transmutation of elements.

• Discovery of Isotopes (1913): Soddy discovered that elements can have atoms with the same chemical properties but different atomic weights, coining the term “isotopes.”
• Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1921): He received the Nobel Prize for his research on radioactive substances and isotopes, highlighting the importance of his discoveries in chemistry.

Ferdinand Porsche

Date of Birth: September 3, 1875

German inventor designed Porsche and Volkswagen cars.

• Affordable Cars: Porsche designed the Volkswagen Beetle, an iconic car intended to be cheap and reliable for the general public, which became one of the best-selling cars in history.

• Racing Innovations: Porsche developed advanced racing cars for Auto Union in the 1930s, which featured innovative designs and technologies that dominated Grand Prix racing.

• Early Porsche Cars: He created early Porsche models, like the Porsche 64 and Porsche 356, which laid the foundation for the Porsche brand’s reputation in sports cars.

Therkel Mathiassen

Date of Birth: September 5, 1892

Danish archaeologist and ethnographer (a scientist who gathers and records data about human culture and societies), laid the groundwork for the scientific study of Arctic archaeology

• Thule Culture: Mathiassen is most famous for discovering and defining the Thule culture, an ancient Inuit culture in the Arctic, through his excavations during the Fifth Thule Expedition (1921–1924).

• Archaeological Methods: Mathiassen introduced systematic archaeological techniques to the Arctic, enhancing the study of Arctic prehistory.

• Publications: His work, including “The Thule Culture and its Position within the Eskimo Culture,” is foundational in Arctic archaeology.

• Ethnographic Research: Therkel also documented Inuit culture and traditions, offering a broader understanding of Arctic societies.

Waldo Semon

Date of Birth: September 10, 1898

American inventor, invented vinyl

• PVC Development: In the 1920s and 1930s, Semon transformed PVC from a brittle polymer into a flexible, durable material by adding plasticizers. This innovation made PVC suitable for a wide range of products, including electrical insulation, vinyl records, pipes, and flooring.

• Synthetic Rubber: Semon also contributed to the development of synthetic rubber during World War II, helping create materials like Buna-S and Buna-N, which were vital during rubber shortages.

• Patents and Legacy: Semon held over 100 patents, and his work with PVC has had a lasting impact, making it one of the most widely used plastics in various industries today.

Irene Joliot-Curie

Date of Birth: September 12, 1897

French scientist and daughter of Marie and Pierre Curie, won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1935 for the synthesis of new radioactive elements

• Discovery of Artificial Radioactivity and Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1934–1935: Irène, along with her husband Frédéric Joliot-Curie, discovered artificial radioactivity by bombarding elements with alpha particles, creating new radioactive isotopes. This discovery was pivotal for nuclear science and led to their being awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1935.

• Scientific Leadership, 1930s–1950s: Irène served as the Director of the Radium Institute in Paris and was a strong advocate for the peaceful use of nuclear energy and the advancement of women in science.