Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical technique which utilizes a magnetic field and the natural resonance of atoms to provide an image of human tissue. While the foundation for its development first took place in the late 1930s, it was not until the late 1960s that it was used by doctors to view the inner workings of the human body.

The development of MRI began in the early 1900s with discoveries made in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). During this time, scientists were just starting to develop theories about the structure of atoms and the nature of visible and ultraviolet light. NMR was discovered to be related to the magnetic properties of an atom's nucleus. It is a phenomenon in which atomic nuclei absorb and emit radio waves when placed in a large magnetic field. These properties were first demonstrated in 1924 by...