Karol Olszewski

Karol Stanisław Olszewski was a Polish chemist, mathematician, and physicist who lived from January 29, 1846, to March 24, 1915. He was a talented scientist who made important discoveries in the field of chemistry.

In 1883, together with another scientist named Zygmunt Wróblewski, Olszewski achieved a remarkable feat. They were the first people in the world to turn oxygen and nitrogen—two gases we breathe every day—into a liquid form. This was a major breakthrough in science because it showed that these gases could exist in different states.

Olszewski’s work helped scientists understand more about the properties of gases and paved the way for future research. His discoveries are still important today in fields like medicine and industry, where liquid gases are used in many ways. His legacy remains a shining example of how curiosity and experimentation can lead to amazing scientific advances.

Life and career

Karol Olszewski was born in 1846 in Broniszów. He studied at Kraków's Jagiellonian University in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology. He later defended his doctoral dissertation at Heidelberg University and returned to Kraków as an associate professor.

In 1883, together with Zygmunt Wróblewski, Olszewski became the first person to liquefy oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide from the air. He also succeeded in liquefying hydrogen and later argon, reaching very low temperatures. He was also quick to replicate the discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Röntgen and created one of the first X-ray images.