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Martin D. Kamen

Physicist

Birthday August 27, 1913

Birth Sign Virgo

Birthplace Canada

DEATH DATE Aug 31, 2002 (89)

#230,899 Most Popular

About

Physicist who discovered the Carbon-14 element, which allowed biologists to peer inside the chemistry of living cells. He also worked on the Manhattan Project during World War II, which developed the first atomic bomb.

Before Fame

Working with another researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, he discovered the element present in every plant and animal.

Trivia

During the McCarthy trials he was accused of passing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union and his passport was seized because of it.

Family Life

His parents were Russian immigrants who settled in Toronto, Canada, and Kamen himself grew up in Chicago.

Associated With

Faced with public charges of treason by Joseph McCarthy's committee, he attempted suicide at his lowest point, but did not succeed.