# George Andrew Olah

_Hungarian chemist (1927-2017)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/george-andrew-olah
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> George Andrew Olah (born Oláh András György; May 22, 1927 – March 8, 2017) was a Hungarian-American chemist. His research involved the generation and reactivity of carbocations via superacids. For this research, Olah was awarded a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1994 "for his contribution to carbocation chemistry." He was also awarded the Priestley Medal, the highest honor granted by the American Chemical Society and F.A. Cotton Medal for Excellence in Chemical Research of the American Chemical Society in 1996.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 22 May 1927 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q192603#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Budapest ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q192603#P19))
- **Died:** 8 March 2017 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q192603#P570))
- **Place of death:** Beverly Hills ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q192603#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Hungary; United States ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q192603#P27))
- **Occupation:** chemist; university teacher ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q192603#P106))
- **Education:** Budapest University of Technology and Economics ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q192603#P69))
- **Awards:** Nobel Prize in Chemistry; Priestley Medal; Tolman Award; Arthur C. Cope Award; Centenary Prize; honorary doctor of the Ohio State University; Széchenyi Prize; Foreign Member of the Royal Society; Order of the Rising Sun; F. A. Cotton Medal; Guggenheim Fellowship; Chemical Pioneer Award; honorary citizen of Budapest; Roger Adams Award in Organic Chemistry; ACS Award for Creative Work in Synthetic Organic Chemistry, ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q192603#P166))

## About

After the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, he immigrated to the United Kingdom, which he left for Canada in 1964, finally resettling in the United States in 1965. According to György Marx, he was one of The Martians.

## Questions

**When was George Andrew Olah born?**  
George Andrew Olah was born on 22 May 1927 in Budapest.

**Where did George Andrew Olah study?**  
George Andrew Olah was educated at Budapest University of Technology and Economics.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): George Andrew Olah](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Andrew_Olah) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q192603](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q192603) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Oláh György előadása 8299.jpg by user:Bitman (CC BY-SA 3.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ol%C3%A1h_Gy%C3%B6rgy_el%C5%91ad%C3%A1sa_8299.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article George Andrew Olah, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Oláh György előadása 8299.jpg — user:Bitman, CC BY-SA 3.0.

## Cite this page

"George Andrew Olah". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/george-andrew-olah. Retrieved 5 November 2026.