Karol Olszewski

Early Life and Education

Karol Stanisław Olszewski was a Polish chemist, mathematician, and physicist. He was born on January 29, 1846, and passed away on March 24, 1915. He was a talented scientist who made important discoveries in chemistry.

Liquid Air Discovery

In 1883, Olszewski worked with another scientist named Zygmunt Wróblewski. Together, they did something amazing. They were the first people to turn oxygen and nitrogen—gases we breathe every day—into liquid. This was a big step for science because it showed these gases could change forms.

Olszewski’s work helped other scientists learn more about gases. His discoveries are still useful today in medicine and industry, where liquid gases are used in many ways. His work shows how curiosity and testing can lead to great scientific advances.

Life and career

Karol Olszewski was born in 1846 in Broniszów. He studied mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology at Kraków's Jagiellonian University. He later finished his studies at Heidelberg University and came back to Kraków as an associate professor.

In 1883, with Zygmunt Wróblewski, Olszewski was the first person to liquefy oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide from the air. He also liquefied hydrogen and later argon, reaching very cold temperatures. He quickly copied the discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Röntgen and made one of the first X-ray pictures.