This Day in History:
German Scientist Discovers X-Rays .
November 8, 1895.
Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen's
discovery of X-rays happened
accidentally as he conducted
a test on cathode rays.
He noticed a glow on a screen
coated with chemicals.
Rontgen called the rays
that caused the glow X-rays.
After conducting more experiments,
Rontgen discovered that X-rays could
pass through human flesh, but not
harder substances such as bone.
He also learned that they could
be photographed. The discovery
was hailed as a medical miracle.
X-rays were first used on a
battlefield during the Balkan War in 1897.
Rontgen received the
Nobel Prize in physics for
his work, but never attempted
to gain financially for his discovery