John A. Wheeler had a key role in the development of the atom bomb and made black holes a household name. John Wheeler had a key role in the development of the atom bomb.

John A. Wheeler physicist dies at 96

By Michael Stevens
Apr 15, 2008 10:25 AM GMT
John A. Wheeler had a key role in the development of the atom bomb and made black holes a household name.

Wheeler had a key role in the development of the atom bomb and made black holes a household name.

John A. Wheeler, one of America's greatest physicists, died on Sunday at his New Jersey home from pneumonia.

Wheeler was involved in the Manhattan project that developed the world's first atomic bomb and was one of Albert Einstein's last collaborators.

The physicist, who was for many years a professor at Princeton University, also worked with Niels Bohr, the Nobel Prize-winning Danish scientist.

Wheeler, who gave "black holes" their name, describe the phenomenon of a star collapsing into such a dense core that light cannot escape from it.

"Laura and I are saddened by the death of John Archibald Wheeler, one of America's greatest physicists," President George W. Bush said Monday in a statement. "His early work with Bohr on how nuclei split apart, his vision of the possibilities of Einstein's curved space, and his work on quantum theory demonstrated his innovation and brilliance."

Wheeler also helped nurture the careers of other eminent physicists, including Nobel laureate Richard Feynman, who was known as the "Great Explainer" due to his skill at making complex subjects accessible.

John Wheeler was born in 1911 in Jacksonville, Florida.


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John A. Wheeler, who gave "black holes" their name, describe the phenomenon of a star collapsing into such a dense core that light cannot escape from it. He was also involved in the Manhattan project that developed the world's first atomic bomb.