Giants in History: Tsung-Dao Lee

Chinese-American physicist Tsung-Dao Lee (24 November 1926 – 4 August 2024) was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1957 together with Chen-Ning Yang for their work challenging the symmetry law in subatomic particles. They were the first Chinese Nobel prize winners, with Lee becoming the second-youngest laureate. Born in Shanghai, he went to the United States on scholarship and studied under another Nobel winner, Enrico Fermi. His early research dealt with elementary particles, astrophysics, quantum field theory, and statistical mechanics. Considered one of the masters in particle physics, he developed a model for studying quantum phenomena while a professor at Columbia University. He was also influential in the establishment of the Beijing Electron-Positron Collider and promoting scientific development in China, visiting his home country to give lectures later in his career. He was the recipient of many other awards, notably the Albert Einstein Award in Science and the Galileo Galilei Medal.