Early to mid 20th century research

Since becoming the University of Birmingham, our learning and research has contributed to the advancement of knowledge and its application.

Table of research facts by subject

Year	Subject	Fact
1905	Physics	Professor Henry Poynting (the man who calculated the weight of the world) wins The Royal Society Gold Medal for his research on radiation.
1913	Science	Madame Curie receives an honorary degree at Birmingham during which she is described as “the discoverer of radium and the greatest woman of science of all time”.
1922	Chemistry	Francis William Aston receives the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on the Mass Spectrometer
1937	Chemistry	Sir Norman Haworth receives the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on carbohydrates and Vitamin C
1939	Mathematical Physics	Rudolf Peierls, Professor of Mathematical Physics, and Otto Frisch write a paper, which calculates that a bomb can be made with uranium 235.
1941	Physics	Henry Boot receives his PhD after helping to create the first resonant cavity magnetron valve, which proved a decisive weapon against the submarine in World War II.
1942	Engineering	Professor Fred Garner joins the University having pioneered the use of knock-rating, which led to the star classification of petrol.
1952	Medicine (Paediatrics & child health)	Professor Charlotte Anderson and her team proved that the glutens in wheat caused coeliac disease, leading to the introduction of gluten-free diets.