Linus Pauling was born in Portland, Oregon on February 28, 1901. At the age of 24, he received his Ph.D. in physical chemistry and mathematical physics from the California Institute of Technology. His knowledge spanned several emerging fields including quantum chemistry, molecular biology and orthomolecular medicine.
In the years that followed, he explored chemical bonding, energy states in the electrons surrounding the atomic nucleus, and the structure of DNA–the latter contributing to Watson and Crick’s discovery of the double helix. For this, he was awarded in 1954 the Nobel Prize in chemistry.
Recognizing the potential threat of a nuclear war, Pauling advocated strongly for nuclear disarmament and his efforts to eliminate above ground nuclear tests won him in 1962 a second Nobel Prize, this time the Nobel Peace Prize.
While his textbooks are the mainstay of many university courses in chemistry, some of his work in orthomolecular medicine in which he recommended large doses of vitamin C for prevention of the common cold remain somewhat controversial. After a life of contributing to research and to preservation of human health, Linus Pauling died of prostate cancer in 1994 at the age of 93.
