Antoine Henri Becquerel Apr 2026

Becquerel's most famous achievement was an accidental discovery involving uranium salts.

: Days later, he developed the plate and found a clear, dark image of the crystals—meaning they were emitting "penetrating rays" spontaneously, without any external energy source like the sun. antoine henri becquerel

: In 1899, he demonstrated that some radioactive rays (beta particles) could be deflected by magnetic fields, proving they were charged particles rather than waves. antoine henri becquerel

: In 1901, after being accidentally burned by a vial of radium in his pocket, he realized that radioactivity could affect living tissue. This led to the birth of radiotherapy for treating cancer. Awards and Legacy Henri Becquerel – Facts - NobelPrize.org antoine henri becquerel