Google commemorated the 111th birthday of renowned Nobel winning physicist Lev Davidovich Landau by means of a doodle. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1962 “for his pioneering theories for condensed matter, especially liquid helium.” He applied quantum theory to the movement of superfluid liquid helium, making a significant contribution to theoretical physics.
Born on 22 January 1908 in Baku in current day Azerbaijan, Lev Landau graduated from the Physical Department of Leningrad University. Subsequently, he began his scientific career in the Leningrad Physico-Technical Institute. A prodigy that he was, he completed his PhD at the age of 21. He did extensive work in multifarious branches of theoretical physics, ranging from quantum field theory to fluid mechanics.
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For his contribution to physics, he was awarded multiple awards and honours. He has received the Lenin Science Prize in 1962, the Max Planck Medal in 1961, and the Fritz London Prize in 1961. However, his fame and repute are not just limited to the Earth. He also has two celestial objects named after him! A minor crater and a lunar planet are named after him. Also, the highest and most prestigious prize in theoretical physics awarded by the Russian Academy of Sciences – Landau Gold Medal – is named after him.
