Aaron Klug
He revolutionized how we see the molecular machinery of life, using electron beams to map the intricate structures of viruses and chromosomes.
1926–2018 (age 92)·British biophysicist and chemist·Birthday: August 11·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Born in Lithuania and raised in South Africa, Aaron Klug’s path to a Nobel Prize was a winding fusion of chemistry, physics, and biology. After studying in Johannesburg and Cape Town, he moved to Cambridge, where the intellectual ferment of the Cavendish Laboratory became his home. Klug wasn't content with static snapshots of molecules; he wanted to see them in action. His genius lay in developing a method called crystallographic electron microscopy, a hybrid technique that combined the detail of X-ray crystallography with the direct imaging power of electron microscopes. This allowed him to solve the three-dimensional structures of complex biological assemblies, most famously the tobacco mosaic virus and the crucial protein bundles that package DNA into chromosomes. His work provided a new visual language for molecular biology, turning abstract concepts into tangible, twistable models that transformed virology and genetics.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Aaron was born in 1926, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Aaron Was Born
The biggest hits of 1926
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
Aaron's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1926Born
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1931Started school
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1939Became a teenager
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1942Could drive
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1944Could vote
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1947Turned 21
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1956Turned 30
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1966Turned 40
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 50
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 60
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 70
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 80
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2018Died at 92
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
Key Achievements
- Awarded the 1982 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing crystallographic electron microscopy.
- Determined the detailed structure of tobacco mosaic virus, a landmark in virology.
- Elucidated the structure of chromatin, revealing how DNA is packaged around histone proteins.
- Served as Director of the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, leading a world-class research institute.
- Developed sophisticated image analysis techniques that became standard in structural biology.
Did You Know?
He was an accomplished pianist and considered a career in music before focusing on science.
During World War II, he served in the South African military's non-European army services unit.
He was a protégé of Rosalind Franklin and helped complete her work on the tobacco mosaic virus after her death.
Klug was knighted in 1988 for his services to science.
He was a passionate advocate for the public understanding of science.
““The excitement of science is that you don't know what you're going to find.””
