Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Today in History: Henri Becquerel uncovers principle of radioactive decay

3/1/2026

49 10

Summary

Story summary

On March 1, 1896, French physicist Antoine Henri Becquerel discovered radioactive decay by exposing photographic plates to uranium salts. This groundbreaking finding revealed that unstable atomic nuclei emit radiation, leading to the identification of radioactivity. Becquerel's work laid the foundation for future research in nuclear physics and earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903.

1 of 1

Story summary

On March 1, 1896, French physicist Antoine Henri Becquerel discovered radioactive decay by exposing photographic plates to uranium salts. This groundbreaking finding revealed that unstable atomic nuclei emit radiation, leading to the identification of radioactivity. Becquerel's work laid the foundation for future research in nuclear physics and earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903.