George Porter
A brilliant experimentalist who captured chemical reactions in a flash, winning a Nobel Prize for illuminating the invisible world of ultrafast processes.
1920–2002 (age 82)·British chemist·Birthday: December 6·The Greatest Generation
Biography
George Porter was a man who raced against light itself. In the smoky laboratories of post-war Cambridge, working under Ronald Norrish, he pioneered a revolutionary technique called flash photolysis. By using incredibly brief, intense pulses of light, he could effectively 'photograph' the fleeting existence of free radicals and transition states—species that lived and died in millionths of a second. This was like inventing a strobe light for molecules, allowing chemists to observe the intermediate steps of reactions for the first time. The breakthrough earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1967. Beyond the lab, Porter was a passionate and eloquent advocate for science to the public, serving as President of the Royal Society and Director of the Royal Institution, where he dedicated himself to making complex ideas vividly clear.
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.
George was born in 1920, 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 George Was Born
The biggest hits of 1920
#1 Movie
Way Down East
George's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1920Born
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1925Started school
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1933Became a teenager
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1936Could drive
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1938Could vote
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1941Turned 21
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1950Turned 30
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1960Turned 40
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 50
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 60
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 70
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 80
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2002Died at 82
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
Key Achievements
- Awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1967 for his work on flash photolysis.
- Served as President of the Royal Society from 1985 to 1990.
- Was the Director of the Royal Institution of Great Britain and a renowned popularizer of science.
- Knighted in 1972 and later made a life peer as Baron Porter of Luddenham.
Did You Know?
He served as a radar officer in the Royal Navy during World War II, an experience that influenced his interest in electronics and pulses.
He was a talented photographer and used his skills to visualize scientific concepts for public lectures.
He was a fierce advocate for environmental issues and renewable energy long before it was mainstream.
“The most important application of science is to enable us to do things which were previously impossible, and to understand things which were previously mysterious.”
