Georg Wittig
A German chemist who gave organic chemists a precise and powerful tool to construct carbon-carbon double bonds, transforming molecular construction.
1897–1987 (age 90)·German chemist·Birthday: June 16·The Lost Generation
Biography
Georg Wittig's career in chemistry was a testament to meticulous, fundamental research yielding revolutionary tools. Working in the mid-20th century, a golden age for organic synthesis, he focused on the chemistry of phosphorus. His deep investigation into a peculiar class of phosphorus compounds called ylides led to his landmark discovery: these reagents could cleanly and predictably transform carbonyl groups, like those in aldehydes and ketones, into alkenes. The Wittig reaction, as it became universally known, was elegantly simple in concept but enormously powerful in practice. It provided a direct route to build molecules with defined double bonds, a task that was previously cumbersome and imprecise. This method became a staple in laboratories worldwide, enabling the synthesis of complex molecules from vitamins to pharmaceuticals. His 1979 Nobel Prize recognized not just a reaction, but a fundamental shift in how chemists approach building blocks of life.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Georg was born in 1897, placing them squarely in The Lost 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 Georg Was Born
The biggest hits of 1897
Georg's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1897Born
President: William McKinley
1902Started school
The eruption of Mount Pelee kills 30,000 in Martinique
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1910Became a teenager
Halley's Comet makes its closest approach
President: William Howard Taft
1913Could drive
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1915Could vote
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1918Turned 21
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1927Turned 30
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1937Turned 40
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1947Turned 50
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
1957Turned 60
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1967Turned 70
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1977Turned 80
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Died at 90
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
Key Achievements
- Discovered the Wittig reaction, a cornerstone method for synthesizing alkenes from carbonyl compounds.
- Awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1979, sharing it with Herbert C. Brown.
- His work on pentavalent organic phosphorus compounds laid the foundation for the reaction that bears his name.
- Served as a professor at several German universities, including Tübingen and Heidelberg, mentoring generations of chemists.
Did You Know?
He initially studied chemistry because he mistakenly believed it was required to become a school teacher.
His academic career was interrupted by World War I, during which he was a prisoner of war.
He was known for being a very private person who was deeply dedicated to his laboratory work.
The Wittig reaction is one of the most taught named reactions in undergraduate organic chemistry courses worldwide.
“Give me a phosphorane and a carbonyl, and I will build you an alkene.”
