Carl David Anderson

American physicist

Born: September 3, 1905 · Died: January 11, 1991

Famous Persons

Carl David Anderson — Image via Wikimedia Commons or Wikipedia.

Overview

Legacy

in Physics and Engineering in 1927, and his Ph.D.

Legacy

in Physics in 1930, both from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Who was Carl David Anderson?

Carl David Anderson (September 3, 1905 – January 11, 1991) was an American experimental physicist who shared the 1936 Nobel Prize in Physics with Victor Hess for his discovery of the positron, which confirmed the existence of antimatter. Carl David Anderson was born in New York City, to Swedish immigrants, Carl David Anderson Sr. and Emma Adolfina Ajaxson. Anderson received his B.S. in Physics and Engineering in 1927, and his Ph.D. in Physics in 1930, both from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). Anderson spent the entirety of his career at Caltech; he was Research Fellow (1930–1933) and Assistant Professor to Associate Professor of Physics (1933–1939), before becoming Professor of Physics in 1939, a position he held until his retirement in 1976. In 1946, Anderson married Lorraine Bergman, with whom he had two sons.

Historical significance

Anderson died in San Marino, California, at the age of 85. His remains were interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles.

Sources and further reading

Use the dated article for the day-specific account; use these references to check the event record and explore its wider historical context.

Wikipedia source

Cite this page

MLA

“Carl David Anderson.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/carl-david-anderson/. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

APA

Carl David Anderson. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/carl-david-anderson/

Chicago

“Carl David Anderson.” thisDay. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/carl-david-anderson/.

Found an error? Let us know.