Leó Szilárd

Leó Szilárd (February 11, 1898 – May 30, 1964) was a Jewish Hungarian-American physicist who worked on the Manhattan Project. He was born in Budapest and died in La Jolla, California.

The Manhattan Project

Szilárd was instrumental in the development of the Manhattan Project. It was his idea to send a confidential letter to Franklin D. Roosevelt explaining the possibility of nuclear weapons, and to encourage the development of a program which could lead to their creation. In August 1939 he obtained Albert Einstein's endorsement of this proposal. Later, he moved to the University of Chicago to continue work on the project. There, along with Fermi, he helped to construct the first "neutronic reactor", a uranium and graphite "pile" in which the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction was achieved, in 1942.

Related Topics:
Manhattan Project - Franklin D. Roosevelt - Albert Einstein - University of Chicago - Graphite - 1942

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As the war continued, Szilárd became increasingly dismayed that he was losing control over his scientific developments to the military, and clashed many times with General Leslie Groves, military head of the project. His resentment towards the U.S. government was exacerbated by his failed attempt to avoid the use of the atomic bomb in war.

Related Topics:
Leslie Groves - U.S. government - War

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Szilárd became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1943.

Related Topics:
Naturalized citizen - United States - 1943

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