Enrico Fermi - Biography.

Enrico Fermi - Biography. Italian-born American physicist Birth September 29, 1901 Death November 28, 1954 Place of Rome, Italy Birth Known For Initiating the first controlled nuclear chain reaction Award 1938 Nobel Prize in Physics Career 1922 Received a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Pisa 1924-1926 Taught physics as a lecturer at the University of Florence 1926-1938 Taught theoretical physics at the University of Rome 1938 Immigrated with his family to the United States 1939-1942 Taught physics at Columbia University December 1942 Initiated the first controlled nuclear chain reaction 1942-1945 Contributed to the Manhattan Project, a federally backed effort to build an atomic bomb 1946-1954 Taught physics at the University of Chicago Did You Fermi and his wife, who was Jewish, used the 1938 Nobel ceremony in Sweden as an opportunity to flee fascist-controlled Italy and move Know to the United States. To avoid notice from the Italian government while planning his family's emigration, Fermi would travel to outlying towns in order to mail employment inquiries to American universities. The Enrico Fermi Award, named in Fermi's honor two years after his death, is given annually by the U.S. government to pioneers in the field of atomic energy. The element fermium, discovered in 1952, was named in honor of Enrico Fermi. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.