Chien-Shiung Wu

1912 – 1997

Chien-Shiung Wu (traditional Chinese: 吳健雄; pinyin: Wú Jiànxíong; May 29, 1912 – February 16, 1997) was a Chinese-born American physicist with an expertise in radioactivity. She worked on the Manhattan Project (to enrich the uranium fuel) and disproved the conservation of parity. Her nicknames included the “First Lady of Physics”, “Chinese Marie Curie,” and “Madame Wu.” She died after her second stroke on February 16, 1997.