What German scientist is known as the Father of Radiology?

Wilhelm Roentgen is known as the Father of Radiology. The German physicist discovered X-rays in 1895, creating a way to see inside the human body without surgery and laying the foundation for diagnostic medical imaging.

While experimenting with cathode-ray tubes at the University of Würzburg, Roentgen noticed that a fluorescent screen glowed even though the tube was covered. He concluded that an unknown form of penetrating radiation was passing through nearby materials. He called the phenomenon “X-rays,” using X for something unexplained.

His first famous X-ray image showed the hand of his wife, Anna Bertha Ludwig, including her bones and wedding ring. The discovery spread rapidly through hospitals and laboratories. In 1901, Roentgen received the first Nobel Prize in Physics for discovering the new rays.

“Roentgen” is an accepted spelling of “Röntgen,” and many languages still use “Röntgen rays” for X-rays. The name also survives in the unit roentgen and in the element roentgenium, although modern radiology uses more precise radiation units.