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Entity shares the life of one of the most famous women in history, Lise Meitner.

In our ongoing series #WomenThatDid ENTITY profiles inspirational and famous women in history whose impact on our world can still be felt today. If you have a suggestion for a historical powerhouse you would like to see featured tweet us with the hashtag #WomenThatDid. 

Name: Lise Meitner

Lifetime: November 7, 1878 – October 27, 1968

What She’s Known For: Many accomplished women don’t receive the credit that they deserve and, Lise Meitner, an Austrian physicist who co-discovered nuclear fission, learned this the hard way. By helping discover nuclear fission, Meitner helped further the making of atomic bombs. However, only her partner, Otto Hahn, received credit for their findings and only he was awarded the 1944 Nobel Prize for their work. Meitner also discovered the Auger Effect, or the cause of electron emissions from surfaces.

Why We Love Her: Meitner has been making history since college when she was the second woman to earn her PhD in Physics at the University of Vienna in 1905. Even after she was not awarded for her work on nuclear fission – partly because she was Jewish and WWII made it dangerous to admit that her and Hahn were secretly working together – she stayed passionate about and dedicated to the science field. Although she never received an award, Meitner was recognized for her contribution: President Truman called her “the little lady that got us into all this,” referring to how Meitner’s discovery of nuclear fission helped pave the way for atomic bombs.

Fun Fact: Element 109, meitnerium, is named in her honor.

Edited by Casey Cromwell
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