World Radiography Day marks the anniversary of one of the most important discoveries in medical history. It is also a day to thank the radiographers and radiologists who work behind the scenes in hospitals.
The accidental discovery of X-rays
On November 8, 1895, German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen was experimenting with cathode rays in his laboratory in Würzburg when he noticed a nearby screen glowing. Unknown rays were passing through the materials around it, so he called them "X" rays. One of his first images showed the bones of his wife's hand, complete with her ring.
For the first time, doctors could see inside a living body without surgery. Röntgen received the first Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901. Since 2012 the date has also been marked as the International Day of Radiology.
How to mark World Radiography Day
- Thank a radiographer if you know one
- Read up on how X-rays, CT and MRI scans differ
- Share Röntgen's remarkable story with a science-loving kid
