John C. Polanyi, a pioneer in the field of reaction dynamics, made major contributions toward scientists' knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of chemical reactions. His work on the use of infrared chemiluminescence paved the way for the development of powerful chemical lasers. In recognition of his achievement, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1986.

Polanyi was born on January 23, 1929, in Berlin, Germany to Michael Polanyi, a chemistry professor, and Magda Elizabeth Kemeny Polanyi, both of Hungarian descent. Polanyi's family moved to Manchester, England, when he was four years old. There, his father took a position as professor of chemistry at Manchester University. Polanyi attended Manchester Grammar School as a child, and enrolled at Manchester University in 1946. That same year, his father stopped teaching chemistry and joined the university's philosophy department.

Polanyi's father had focused his research on the molecular basis of chemical reactions. Polanyi, who had...