Heike Kamerlingh Onnes was a Dutch experimental physicist distinguished for his work in the field of low-temperature physics. He was the first scientist to succeed in liquefying helium , a breakthrough that yielded a previously unattainable degree of cold. This accomplishment won him the 1913 Nobel Prize for physics, in addition to numerous other awards. He is also credited with the discovery of superconductivity--that is, the complete disappearance of electrical resistance in various metals at temperatures approaching absolute zero.

Kamerlingh Onnes was born in Groningen, the Netherlands, on September 21, 1853. His father owned a tile factory, and both his parents were strict, imbuing Kamerlingh Onnes and his brothers with an understanding of the value of hard work and perseverance. He was initially educated at Groningen High School under J. M. van Bemmelan, and in 1870 he enrolled in the physics program at the University of Groningen. The following year he submitted an...