Gleb Wataghin
A peripatetic physicist who seeded major research schools on two continents, bridging Europe and South America with transformative energy.
1899–1986 (age 87)·Italian physicist·Birthday: November 3·The Lost Generation
Biography
Gleb Wataghin’s life was a lesson in scientific diaspora. Born in Ukraine under the Russian Empire, he found his academic footing in Italy before accepting a daring invitation in 1934: to help build a physics department from scratch at the nascent University of São Paulo. In Brazil, he became a force of nature, assembling a team that included young talents like César Lattes. His group, working with makeshift equipment, delved into cosmic rays and particle physics, putting South American science on the global map. Forced back to Europe by WWII, he repeated the feat at the University of Turin, revitalizing its physics program. Wataghin was less a solitary genius and more an intellectual catalyst, a man whose greatest discovery was the potential in his students, whom he inspired to pursue bold, experimental work.
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.
Gleb was born in 1899, 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 Gleb Was Born
The biggest hits of 1899
Gleb's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1899Born
President: William McKinley
1904Started school
New York City opens its first subway line
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1912Became a teenager
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1915Could drive
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1917Could vote
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1920Turned 21
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1929Turned 30
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1939Turned 40
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
1949Turned 50
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1959Turned 60
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1969Turned 70
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 80
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1986Died at 87
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
Key Achievements
- Founded the influential physics school at the University of São Paulo, a cornerstone of scientific research in Brazil.
- Mentored a generation of pioneering physicists in South America, including César Lattes, key to the discovery of the pion.
- Revitalized the physics institute at the University of Turin after World War II, re-establishing it as a major European center.
Did You Know?
He was of Armenian descent, born in a region that is now part of Ukraine.
During his time in Brazil, his research group used Geiger counters made from empty tin cans.
The 'Wataghin Prize' is awarded by the Brazilian Physical Society in his honor.
“The universe is written in the language of interference patterns.”
