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John Bardeen
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John Bardeen

Only person to win the Nobel Prize in Physics twice — for the transistor and superconductivity

23 May 1908 – 30 January 1991 United States Verified by our editors
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82 yrs
1908 – 1991
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John Bardeen was an American physicist who co-invented the transistor at Bell Labs in 1947 and later co-developed the BCS theory of superconductivity. He is the only person to have won the Nobel Prize in Physics twice, in 1956 and 1972.

Biography

Background

Bardeen entered the University of Wisconsin at 15, studying electrical engineering, and worked as a geophysicist at Gulf Oil before earning a PhD in mathematical physics at Princeton.

The transistor

At Bell Labs after the war, Bardeen, a theorist, worked with experimentalist Walter Brattain. In December 1947 they built the first point-contact transistor, which could amplify signals. Transistors replaced vacuum tubes and became the building blocks of all modern electronics. They shared the 1956 Nobel Prize with William Shockley.

Superconductivity

Moving to the University of Illinois in 1951, Bardeen with Leon Cooper and Robert Schrieffer explained in 1957 why some materials lose all electrical resistance at low temperatures. The BCS theory earned the three the 1972 Nobel Prize.

Legacy

Bardeen remained at Illinois for the rest of his career, advising companies including Xerox. He died in 1991.

Timeline

  1. 1908

    Born in Madison, Wisconsin, United States

  2. 1936

    PhD from Princeton

  3. 1945

    Joins Bell Labs

  4. 1947

    Transistor with Walter Brattain

  5. 1951

    Professor at the University of Illinois

  6. 1956

    First Nobel Prize

  7. 1957

    BCS theory

  8. 1972

    Second Nobel Prize

  9. 1991

    Dies in Boston

  10. 1991

    Died, aged 82

Notable works

  • 1948

    The Transistor, A Semi-Conductor Triode Paper

    With Walter Brattain.

  • 1957

    Theory of Superconductivity Paper

    With Cooper and Schrieffer.

Awards and honours

  • Nobel Prize in Physics

    1956

  • IEEE Medal of Honor

    1971

  • Nobel Prize in Physics

    1972

Did you know?

  1. 1

    He brought only one of his children to the 1956 ceremony; the Swedish king teased him, so he promised to bring them all next time — and did in 1972.

  2. 2

    He started university at 15.

  3. 3

    Life magazine named him one of the most influential Americans of the century.

Connections

Related people

Also born on 23 May

Frequently asked

Who is John Bardeen?

John Bardeen was an American physicist who co-invented the transistor at Bell Labs in 1947 and later co-developed the BCS theory of superconductivity. He is the only person to have won the Nobel Prize in Physics twice, in 1956 and 1972.

When did John Bardeen die?

John Bardeen died on 30 January 1991 at the age of 82.

Where is John Bardeen from?

John Bardeen was born in Madison, Wisconsin, United States.

What is John Bardeen known for?

John Bardeen is best known for Co-inventing the transistor (1947); BCS theory of superconductivity; two Nobel Prizes in Physics.

What awards has John Bardeen received?

Notable honours include Nobel Prize in Physics (1956), IEEE Medal of Honor (1971), Nobel Prize in Physics (1972).

References

  1. John Bardeen — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
  2. John Bardeen — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
  3. John Bardeen — Nobel Prize facts. NobelPrize.org. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
  4. John Bardeen — Goodreads author page. Goodreads. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
  5. John Bardeen — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 4 November 2026.
  6. John Bardeen (Q949) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.

Includes material from the Wikipedia article “John Bardeen”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more

External links

Wikipedia
Filed under Bell LabsNobel PrizeTransistor Electrical EngineerPhysicist

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“John Bardeen.” TrackFame, last updated 5 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/john-bardeen

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