Fritz Zwicky

Swiss astronomer who posited dark matter (1898–1974)
Person human Q115462
Fritz Zwicky
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Fritz Zwicky was born on February 14, 1898, in Varna [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] and died on February 8, 1974, in Pasadena [1][2][3][4][5][6][9][10][11]. He worked as an astronomer, physicist, university teacher, and astrophysicist [12][13], earning his education at ETH Zurich [14]. Zwicky was employed by the California Institute of Technology from 1927 to 1968 [15][14], where his research focused on astrophysics .

He received numerous accolades, including the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society, the Medal of Freedom, and recognition as a Fellow of the American Physical Society [14][16][17][18][19]. Zwicky was also inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame [14][16][17][18][19] and was a member of the American Physical Society [20]. He is buried in Mollis [21].

Fritz Zwicky

Summary

Fritz Zwicky is a human[1]. His place of birth was Varna[2]. He was born on February 14, 1898[3]. He passed away in Pasadena[4]. He died on February 8, 1974[5]. He worked as an astronomer[6], physicist[7], university teacher[8], and astrophysicist[9]. He ranks in the top 0.69% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (406 views/month, #6,948 of 1,000,298).[10]

Key Facts

  • Fritz Zwicky was born in Varna[2].
  • Fritz Zwicky died in Pasadena[4].
  • Fritz Zwicky was born on February 14, 1898[3].
  • Fritz Zwicky died on February 8, 1974[5].
  • Burial took place at Mollis[11].
  • Fritz Zwicky held citizenship in Switzerland[12].
  • Fritz Zwicky's professions included astronomer[6].
  • Fritz Zwicky's professions included physicist[7].
  • Fritz Zwicky worked as a university teacher[8].
  • Fritz Zwicky's professions included astrophysicist[9].
  • Fritz Zwicky's field of work was astrophysics[13].
  • Among Fritz Zwicky's employers was California Institute of Technology[14].
  • Fritz Zwicky's education included a stint at ETH Zurich[15].
  • Fritz Zwicky's doctoral advisor was Peter Debye[16].
  • Fritz Zwicky's doctoral advisor was Paul Scherrer[17].
  • Fritz Zwicky received the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society[18].
  • Fritz Zwicky received the Medal of Freedom[19].
  • Fritz Zwicky received the Fellow of the American Physical Society[20].
  • Fritz Zwicky received the International Space Hall of Fame[21].
  • Fritz Zwicky was a member of American Physical Society[22].
  • Fritz Zwicky's religion is recorded as atheism[23].
  • Fritz Zwicky is recorded as male[24].
  • Fritz Zwicky's instance of is recorded as human[25].
  • Fritz Zwicky's Commons category is recorded as Fritz Zwicky[26].
  • Fritz Zwicky's archives at is recorded as ETH Zurich University Archives[27].

Body

Origins and Family

Fritz Zwicky's place of birth was Varna[2]. He was born on February 14, 1898[3].

Education

Fritz Zwicky's education included a stint at ETH Zurich[15]. Doctoral advisors include Peter Debye[16], a chemist[28], 1884–1966[29], of Kingdom of the Netherlands[30], awarded the Faraday Lectureship Prize[31], specialised in physics[32] and Paul Scherrer[17], a physicist[33], 1890–1969[34], of Switzerland[35], awarded the Marcel Benoist Prize[36], specialised in physicist[37].

Career and Affiliations

Recorded occupations include astronomer[6], physicist[7], university teacher[8], and astrophysicist[9]. Fritz Zwicky's field of work was astrophysics[13]. He was employed by California Institute of Technology[14].

Recognition

Awards received include Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society[18], a science award[38], in United Kingdom[39], founded in 1824[40]; Medal of Freedom[19], an award[41], in United States[42], founded in 1945[43]; Fellow of the American Physical Society[20], a fellowship award[44]; and International Space Hall of Fame[21], a hall of fame[45], in United States[46], founded in 1976[47].

Personal Life

Fritz Zwicky's religion is recorded as atheism[23].

Death and Burial

Fritz Zwicky died on February 8, 1974[5]. He died in Pasadena[4]. Burial took place at Mollis[11].

Works and Contributions

Things named for Fritz Zwicky include Fritz Zwicky Prize for Astrophysics and Cosmology[48] and Zwicky[49].

Why It Matters

Fritz Zwicky ranks in the top 0.69% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (406 views/month, #6,948 of 1,000,298).[10] He has Wikipedia articles in 25 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[50] He is known by 9 alternative names across languages and contexts.[51]

He is credited with the discovery of Cartwheel galaxy[52], a lenticular galaxy[53]; Sextans A[54], a low-surface-brightness galaxy[55]; I Zwicky 18[56], a galaxy[57]; Palomar 12[58], a globular cluster[59]; and Leo A[60], a galaxy[61]. Works attributed to him include Catalogue of Galaxies and Clusters of Galaxies[62], a catalogue of galaxies[63]. Entities named for him include Fritz Zwicky Prize for Astrophysics and Cosmology[48] and Zwicky[49].

FAQs

Where was Fritz Zwicky born?

Fritz Zwicky was born in Varna[2].

Where did Fritz Zwicky die?

Fritz Zwicky died in Pasadena[4].

What did Fritz Zwicky do for work?

Fritz Zwicky worked as astronomer[6], physicist[7], university teacher[8], and astrophysicist[9].

Where did Fritz Zwicky go to school?

Fritz Zwicky was educated at ETH Zurich[15].

What awards did Fritz Zwicky receive?

Honors received include Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society[18], Medal of Freedom[19], Fellow of the American Physical Society[20], and International Space Hall of Fame[21].

What did Fritz Zwicky discover?

Fritz Zwicky is credited as discoverer of Cartwheel galaxy[52], Sextans A[54], I Zwicky 18[56], and Palomar 12[58].

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

  1. [2] . Two fishes in the starry sea : deep-sky delights. reference.sabinet.co.za. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  2. [4] . Editorial note to: F. Zwicky The redshift of extragalactic nebulae. link.springer.com. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  3. [24] . wikidata.org.
  4. [12] . wikidata.org.
  5. [25] . wikidata.org.
  6. [15] . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. wikidata.org.
  7. [13] . wikidata.org.
  8. [6] . news.bbc.co.uk. news.bbc.co.uk. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  9. [7] . wikidata.org.
  10. [8] . wikidata.org.
  11. [9] . wikidata.org.
  12. [14] . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. zwickymeeting.astro.phys.ethz.ch. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  13. [11] . Find a Grave. wikidata.org.
  14. [23] . wikidata.org.
  15. [18] . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. Retrieved . ras.ac.uk. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  16. [19] . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  17. [20] . wikidata.org.
  18. [21] . Las Vegas Optic. Retrieved . nmspacemuseum.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  19. [16] . wikidata.org.
  20. [17] . wikidata.org.
  21. [26] . wikidata.org.
  22. [22] . NNDB. wikidata.org.
  23. [27] . vls.hsa.ethz.ch. Retrieved . vls.hsa.ethz.ch. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  24. [3] . Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  25. [5] . Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved . wikidata.org.

Inverse relationships (entities pointing at this one)

  1. [52] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [54] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [56] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [58] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [60] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [62] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [48] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  8. [49] . wikidata.org. → on this site

Inline context (facts about related entities)

  1. [38] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [39] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [40] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [41] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [42] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [43] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [44] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  8. [45] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  9. [46] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  10. [47] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  11. [28] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  12. [29] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  13. [30] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  14. [31] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  15. [32] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  16. [33] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  17. [34] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  18. [35] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  19. [36] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  20. [37] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  21. [53] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  22. [55] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  23. [57] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  24. [59] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  25. [61] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  26. [63] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site

Class ancestry

  1. [1] . Wikidata. wikidata.org.

Aggregate / graph-position facts

  1. [10] . Wikimedia Foundation. dumps.wikimedia.org.
  2. [50] . Wikidata sitelinks. wikidata.org.
  3. [51] . Wikidata aliases. wikidata.org.

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Edit History

Rolling log of changes to this entity's Wikidata record. Values shown reflect the current state of each edited property — follow the history link to see the precise diff for any edit.

  1. 17d ago · Epìdosis · 2026-05-15 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Place of birth Varna
    Award received Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society, Medal of Freedom, Fellow of the American Physical Society +1
    Described by source Astronomers: A Biographical Reference
    Employer California Institute of Technology
    + 30 other properties edited (see Wikidata diff for full list)
    "/* wbeditentity-update:0| */ QuickStatements 3.0 [[:toollabs:qs-dev/batch/31702|batch #31702]]: import P21 and P106 from GND (3)"
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