Dennis Gabor is best known for inventing and developing holography, which earned him the Nobel Prize in physics in 1971. Early in his career, Gabor built a crude prototype of the electron microscope, but did not pursue its development, and his regret over not continuing his work on this idea lasted throughout his lifetime. The discovery of holography was Gabor's triumph, though he could not have realized at the time the widespread application it has today. Among Gabor's other achievements was the quartz mercury lamp.

Dennis Gabor, the oldest of three sons, was born on June 5, 1900, in Budapest, Hungary. His mother, Ady Jacobvits, was a former actress. His father, Berthold, grandson of Russian-Jewish immigrants, ultimately became the director of the Hungarian General Coal Mines. Although Gabor's family became Lutherans in 1918, religion appeared to play a minor role in his life. He maintained his church affiliation through his adult years...