Chien-Shiung Wu

31 May 1912 – 16 February 1997

Chien-Shiung Wu (1912-1997) was a Chinese-American experimental physicist, often called the 'First Lady of Physics', who made landmark contributions to nuclear and particle physics. Her 1956-57 Wu experiment demonstrated that parity is not conserved in weak interactions, confirming the theory of Tsung-Dao Lee and Chen-Ning Yang. She also worked on the Manhattan Project and became the first female president of the American Physical Society.

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Life events

Born in Liuhe, Jiangsu Province, China
31 May 1912

Wu was born in a small town near Shanghai, where her father ran a school for girls and encouraged her education.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Graduated in physics from National Central University in Nanjing
1934

Wu earned her undergraduate degree in physics at the top of her class.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Emigrated to the United States for graduate study
1936

Wu sailed to San Francisco and enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley, to pursue graduate work in physics.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Earned PhD in physics from the University of California, Berkeley
1940

Wu completed her doctorate under Ernest Lawrence and Emilio Segrè with research on nuclear fission products and beta decay.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Married physicist Luke Chia-Liu Yuan
30 May 1942

Wu married fellow physicist Luke Yuan; the couple later had a son, Vincent, who also became a physicist.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Joined the Manhattan Project at Columbia University
March 1944

Wu worked on uranium enrichment by gaseous diffusion and helped solve a xenon-poisoning problem that shut down the Hanford B Reactor.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Conducted the Wu experiment demonstrating parity violation
December 1956 – January 1957

Working with the National Bureau of Standards on cobalt-60 beta decay, Wu showed that parity is not conserved in weak interactions, confirming the Lee-Yang hypothesis.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Became first female president of the American Physical Society
1975

Wu was elected to lead the American Physical Society, the first woman to hold the office.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Received the inaugural Wolf Prize in Physics
1978

Wu was awarded the first Wolf Prize in Physics in recognition of her contributions to experimental physics, including the parity-violation experiment.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Died in New York City
16 February 1997

Wu died of a stroke at the age of 84; her ashes were buried in the courtyard of the school her father founded in Liuhe.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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