# Riccardo Giacconi

_Italian-American astrophysicist (1931-2018)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/riccardo-giacconi
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Riccardo Giacconi was an Italian-American Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist who laid down the foundations of X-ray astronomy. He was a professor at the Johns Hopkins University.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 6 October 1931 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q186481#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Genoa ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q186481#P19))
- **Died:** 9 December 2018 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q186481#P570))
- **Place of death:** San Diego ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q186481#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Italy; United States ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q186481#P27))
- **Occupation:** astronomer; physicist; university teacher; astrophysicist; visual artist; astrologer ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q186481#P106))
- **Education:** University of Milan ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q186481#P69))
- **Spouse:** Mirella Giacconi ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q186481#P26))
- **Positions held:** ESO’s Director General (1993–1999) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q186481#P39))
- **Awards:** Nobel Prize in Physics; NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal; Elliott Cresson Medal; Helen B. Warner Prize for Astronomy; Henry Norris Russell Lectureship; Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society; National Medal of Science; Karl Schwarzschild Medal; Wolf Prize in Physics; Bruce Medal; Dannie Heineman Prize for Astrophysics; Fulbright Scholarship; Marcel Grossmann Award; Richtmyer Memorial Lecture Award; honorary doctor of the University of Padua ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q186481#P166))

## Questions

**When was Riccardo Giacconi born?**  
Riccardo Giacconi was born on 6 October 1931 in Genoa.

**What positions has Riccardo Giacconi held?**  
Positions held by Riccardo Giacconi include: ESO’s Director General (1993–1999).

**Where did Riccardo Giacconi study?**  
Riccardo Giacconi was educated at University of Milan.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Riccardo Giacconi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riccardo_Giacconi) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q186481](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q186481) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: RiccardoGiacconi.jpg (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RiccardoGiacconi.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

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

## Cite this page

"Riccardo Giacconi". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/riccardo-giacconi. Retrieved 5 November 2026.