1888-1973. US microbiologist and Nobel laureate, 1952. Waksman was taken as a child from Russia to the United States. In 1939 he discovered a bacteria-killing agent in a micro-organism found in soil. He coined the term 'antibiotic' (against life) for such chemicals. In 1943 he isolated an antibiotic, streptomycin, which unlike penicillin was effective against 'gram-negative' bacteria. His work was of great importance in the treatment of war wounded. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology in 1952, and elected a member of the US National Academy of Science.
b. 1906. US biologist and biochemist, Nobel laureate, 1967. As professor of biological sciences at Harvard University, Wald devoted himself to research into the chemistry of the eye, and its relationship to vitamin A. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology.
1889-1966. British orientalist. While working at the British Museum as assistant keeper of prints and drawings, Waley wrote scholarly works on Chinese history and philosophy. He was, however, best known for his popular translations of classical Chinese poetry and Japanese romances such as The Tale of Genji (1925-33). The interest in Britain in the Japanese poetic form of the haiku stems from Waley's translations.
1847-1931. German organic chemist and Nobel laureate, 1910. Wallach, a professor at Berlin and later at Göttingen, was awarded the Nobel Prize for his twenty-five years of research into the molecular structure of a group of substances known as terpenes. His work later became important for vitamin compounds and for the artificial perfume industry.
1912-?47. Swedish rescuer of Hungarian Jews. A businessman with diplomatic affiliations, Wallenberg was sent in July 1944 as an attaché to the Swedish Embassy in Budapest, with the special mission of saving Jews who had Swedish nationality or connexions. He distributed to such persons several thousand Swedish certificates of protection, which were known as 'Wallenberg passports'.
He then showed extraordinary zeal and courage in his efforts to rescue Jews. He organized an 'international ghetto' where about 33,000 Jews were housed under neutral flags, seven thousand of them under Swedish protection. In Budapest he formed 'international labour detachments' and a guards unit composed of Aryan-looking Jews dressed in Nazi uniforms. He also established hospitals and soup kitchens. At one stage three hundred Jews were employed in his department of the Swedish Embassy. When thousands of Budapest Jews were forced into the 'death march' of November 1944, Wallenberg accompanied them with trucks dispensing food and medicine, and managed to rescue and bring back hundreds of them.
In January 1945 the advancing Soviet troops entered Budapest. Wallenberg