Richard Feynman

Did you know that Richard Feynman once unlocked the secrets of the tiny world of atoms and even played the bongos to entertain his friends? He was like a real-life science superhero! Let’s dive into the amazing story of this brilliant thinker.

Richard Feynman was born in New York City in 1918 and grew up endlessly curious about how things work. In the 1940s and ’50s—almost 80 years ago—he helped build the first atomic bomb during World War II as part of the Manhattan Project. His biggest claim to fame came in 1965 when he won the Nobel Prize in Physics for explaining how tiny particles called electrons move and interact.

One of Feynman’s greatest gifts to science is his famous Feynman diagrams. Imagine drawing simple pictures of particles dancing and bumping into each other—that’s exactly what these diagrams do! Scientists still use them today to understand the universe. Beyond equations, he wrote fun books like “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!” that made science feel like an adventure. His playful curiosity continues to inspire kids and grown-ups to ask questions, explore, and never stop learning!