Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen - Outstanding scientist and considerate man

Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen was bom on March 27, 1845 in Lennep, a small but very historical town in West Germany, Rhine area. Because of his preference in constructing things he started to study mechanical engineering at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. Here, he was very much influenced by the lectures given by Rudolf Clausius of mechanic head theory. Roentgen had a keen sense for the recognition of a problem, a great gift for the examination of the problem, and the power of searching criticism as to the probable source of error and their influence upon the results. It was these three important characteristics which gave the results of his researches their enduring value. On November 8(th) 1895 Roentgen discovered a new kind of rays. On December 22, 1895 he took the radiograph of his wife's hand. The message and the pictures went around the world in a very short time. Seeing from the historic point of view, Roentgen's discovery opened the living body non-invasive, making it accessible for the study of anatomy and function. During the 20(th). Century it launched the use of modem techniques for examination of the human body. The paper will give an insight of Roentgens private life, a view of his scientific character and professional work, a short story of the discovery and the examination of X-rays and it's early use and progress in medicine and other scientific and popular fields until today.