Roentgen was the first person to receive Nobel award in physics for his discovery of X-rays in 1901. He discovered the most useful X-rays in 1885.

Roentgen was born on March 22, 1845 at Lennep in Germany, while investigating the effect of cathode rays on a fluorescent screen he observed evidence of an invisible type of radiation of very short wave length which he called X-rays.

Roentgen was graduated from the polytechnic in Zurich and then the worked at the universities of Wurzberg and Strasbourg he became the professor of physics at the University of Gassen in Germany in 1888 he became professor and director of the physical institute at the University of Warzberg.

Apart from the discovery of X-rays Roengten also worked on specific heat of gases, compressibility of liquids and gases and electrical phenomenon in crystals.

Roentgen died on February 10, 1923 at Munich.