# John Bardeen

_American physicist and engineer (1908–1991)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/john-bardeen
Last updated: 2026-11-01

> John Bardeen was an American physicist. He is the only person to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics twice: first in 1956 with William Shockley and Walter Brattain for their invention of the transistor; and again in 1972 with Leon Cooper and John Robert Schrieffer for their microscopic theory of superconductivity, known as the BCS theory.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 23 May 1908 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q949#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Madison ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q949#P19))
- **Died:** 30 January 1991 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q949#P570))
- **Place of death:** Boston ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q949#P20))
- **Citizenship:** United States ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q949#P27))
- **Occupation:** physicist; inventor; university teacher; electrical engineer ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q949#P106))
- **Education:** Princeton University; University of Wisconsin–Madison; Madison Central High School; University of Wisconsin High School ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q949#P69))
- **Spouse:** Jane Maxwell ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q949#P26))
- **Positions held:** professor ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q949#P39))
- **Awards:** Nobel Prize in Physics; Stuart Ballantine Medal; Harold Pender Award; Lomonosov Gold Medal; Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Prize; IEEE Medal of Honor; Fritz London Award; National Medal of Science; National Inventors Hall of Fame; Presidential Medal of Freedom; Franklin Medal; Fellow of the American Physical Society; Foreign Member of the Royal Society; James Madison Medal; John Scott Award ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q949#P166))

## Questions

**When was John Bardeen born?**  
John Bardeen was born on 23 May 1908 in Madison.

**What positions has John Bardeen held?**  
Positions held by John Bardeen include: professor.

**Where did John Bardeen study?**  
John Bardeen was educated at Princeton University, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison Central High School, University of Wisconsin High School.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): John Bardeen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bardeen) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q949](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q949) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Bardeen.jpg by Nobel foundation (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bardeen.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article John Bardeen, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Bardeen.jpg — Nobel foundation, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"John Bardeen". DigiNepal. Last updated 1 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/john-bardeen. Retrieved 4 November 2026.