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Edwin Hubble Timeline

(November 20, 1889 – September 28, 1953)

Edwin Hubble (1889–1953) was an American astronomer whose groundbreaking observations transformed our understanding of the cosmos. Working at Mount Wilson Observatory, he proved that galaxies exist beyond the Milky Way and, along with Milton Humason, established that the universe is expanding. The Hubble Space Telescope is named in his honor. Less

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Early Life and Education

Birth of Edwin Hubble

Nov 20, 1889

Edwin Powell Hubble was born to Virginia Lee Hubble (née James) and John Powell Hubble, an insurance executive, in Marshfield, Missouri. He would grow up to become one of the most important astronomers in history.

Image source: Edwin Hubble

Birth of Edwin Hubble

Family moves to Wheaton, Illinois

1900

Hubble moved with his family from Marshfield, Missouri, to Wheaton, Illinois, where he spent his youth and attended high school.

Success at high school track and field meet

1906

Hubble won seven first places and a third place in a single high school track and field meet in 1906. He was also a talented basketball player, playing a variety of positions from center to shooting guard.

Big Ten basketball title with University of Chicago

1907

Hubble led the University of Chicago's basketball team to their first Big Ten Conference title in 1907, demonstrating athletic prowess alongside his academic gifts.

Family moves to Kentucky

1909

In 1909, Hubble's father moved his family from Chicago to Shelbyville, Kentucky, so that the family could live in a small town, ultimately settling in nearby Louisville.

Bachelor of Science degree from University of Chicago

1910

Hubble's studies at the University of Chicago were concentrated on mathematics, astronomy and philosophy, which resulted in a Bachelor of Science degree by 1910.

Image source: University of Chicago

Bachelor of Science degree from University of Chicago

Return to the Midwest from Oxford

1913

After the death of his father in 1913, Edwin returned to the Midwest from Oxford but did not have the motivation to practice law, turning instead toward astronomy.

Personal Life and Legacy

Death of Hubble's father

1913

Hubble's father died in the winter of 1913, while Edwin was still in England studying at Oxford.

United States declares war on Germany

1917

After the United States declared war on Germany in 1917, Hubble rushed to complete his Ph.D. so he could join the military effort.

Image source: American entry into World War I

United States declares war on Germany

Marriage to Grace Burke Leib

Feb 26, 1924

Hubble married Grace Lillian (Burke) Leib (1889–1980), daughter of John Patrick and Luella (Kepford) Burke, on February 26, 1924.

Elected to the American Philosophical Society

1929

In recognition of his contributions to science, Hubble was elected a member of the American Philosophical Society in 1929.

Image source: American Philosophical Society

Elected to the American Philosophical Society

Legion of Merit award

1946

Hubble received the Legion of Merit in 1946 for his outstanding contribution to ballistics research during World War II.

Image source: Legion of Merit

Legion of Merit award

Heart attack in Colorado

Jul 1949

Hubble suffered a heart attack in July 1949 while on vacation in Colorado, marking a decline in his health during his final years.

Nobel Prize nomination controversy

1953

It is often claimed that had Hubble not died suddenly in 1953, he would have won that year's Nobel Prize in Physics. However, the assertion is likely false, although he was indeed nominated for the prize that year.

Image source: Nobel Prize in Physics

Nobel Prize nomination controversy

Death of Edwin Hubble

Sep 28, 1953

Edwin Hubble died of cerebral thrombosis (a blood clot in his brain) on September 28, 1953, in San Marino, California, at the age of 63.

Death of Grace Burke Hubble and donation of papers

1980

Grace Burke Hubble died in 1980, and her husband's papers were donated by her upon her death, preserving his scientific legacy for future researchers.

Scientific Career

Doctoral work at Yerkes Observatory

1914 - 1917

At Yerkes, Hubble had access to its 40-inch refractor telescope built by George Ellery Hale in 1897, as well as an innovative 26-inch (61 cm) reflector telescope, which he used for his doctoral research.

Image source: Yerkes Observatory

Doctoral work at Yerkes Observatory

Staff position at Mount Wilson Observatory

1919 - 1953

In 1919, Hubble was offered a staff position at the Carnegie Institution for Science's Mount Wilson Observatory, near Pasadena, California, by George Ellery Hale, the founder and director of the observatory. He remained on staff until his death in 1953.

Image source: Mount Wilson Observatory

Staff position at Mount Wilson Observatory

Einstein visits Mount Wilson Observatory

1931

Albert Einstein visited Mount Wilson Observatory in 1931 and met Hubble. In 1917 Einstein had found that his newly developed theory of general relativity indicated that the universe must be either expanding or contracting, and Hubble's observations provided crucial evidence for expansion.

Image source: Albert Einstein

Einstein visits Mount Wilson Observatory

Hubble published foundational books on nebulae and observational cosmology

1936

In 1936 Hubble wrote The Observational Approach to Cosmology and The Realm of the Nebulae, which explain his approaches to extra-galactic astronomy and his view of the subject's history.

Image source: Spiral galaxy

Hubble published foundational books on nebulae and observational cosmology

Report against expanding universe theory

Dec 1941

In December 1941, Hubble reported to the American Association for the Advancement of Science that results from a six-year survey with the Mount Wilson telescope did not support the expanding universe theory.

Major Discoveries

Discovery that nebulae are external galaxies

1924

Hubble's observations made in 1924 proved conclusively that spiral nebulae were much too distant to be part of the Milky Way and were, in fact, entire galaxies outside the Milky Way galaxy. This idea had first been hypothesized as early as 1755 when Immanuel Kant's General History of Nature and Theory of the Heavens appeared.

Findings published in The New York Times

Nov 23, 1924

Despite opposition, Hubble had his findings on external galaxies published in The New York Times on November 23, 1924, bringing his revolutionary discovery to public attention.

Presentation to the American Astronomical Society

Jan 1, 1925

Hubble presented his findings that nebulae were external galaxies to other astronomers at the January 1, 1925, meeting of the American Astronomical Society.

Image source: American Astronomical Society

Presentation to the American Astronomical Society

Confirmation of Hubble's law

1929

Hubble confirmed in 1929 that the recessional velocity of a galaxy increases with its distance from Earth, a behavior that became known as Hubble's law, although it had been proposed two years earlier by Georges Lemaître. Using the strong relationship between a classical Cepheid variable's luminosity and pulsation period (discovered in 1908 by Henrietta Swan Leavitt), he scaled galactic and extragalactic distances.

Image source: Hubble's law

Confirmation of Hubble's law

Andromeda results formally published

1929

Hubble's results for the Andromeda galaxy were formally published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal in 1929, cementing the discovery of galaxies beyond the Milky Way.

Image source: Andromeda Galaxy

Andromeda results formally published

Discovery of asteroid 1373 Cincinnati

Aug 30, 1935

In addition to his astronomical achievements, Hubble discovered the asteroid 1373 Cincinnati on August 30, 1935.

Discovery of comet C/1937 P1 (Hubble)

Aug 4, 1937

Aside from his contributions in stellar and extragalactic astronomy, Hubble also discovered a comet of his own, C/1937 P1 (Hubble), on August 4, 1937.

Image source: C/1937 P1 (Hubble)

Discovery of comet C/1937 P1 (Hubble)

Comet observability ends

Oct 28, 1937

The comet C/1937 P1 (Hubble) remained observable for 58 days after its discovery, until October 28, 1937.

Legacy and Recognition

USPS releases Edwin Hubble commemorative stamp

Mar 6, 2008

On March 6, 2008, the United States Postal Service released a 41-cent stamp honoring Hubble on a sheet titled 'American Scientists' designed by artist Victor Stabin, recognizing him as a 'pioneer of the distant stars' who played a pivotal role in deciphering the vast and complex nature of the universe.

Image source: United States Postal Service

USPS releases Edwin Hubble commemorative stamp

Nature reports claims about Lemaître paper redaction

2011

In 2011, the journal Nature reported claims that Hubble might have played a role in the redaction of key parts of the 1931 English translation of Lemaître's 1927 paper, which formulated what was later called Hubble's law and also gave observational evidence.

Image source: Georges Lemaître

Nature reports claims about Lemaître paper redaction

Mario Livio clears Hubble of Lemaître redaction

Nov 2011

In November 2011, astronomer Mario Livio reported in Nature that a letter he found in the Lemaître archive demonstrated that the redaction had been made by Lemaître himself, who apparently saw no point in publishing scientific content already reported in 1929 by Hubble, clearing Hubble of responsibility.

Image source: Mario Livio

Mario Livio clears Hubble of Lemaître redaction

Induction into Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame

2017

In 2017, Edwin Hubble was recognized posthumously by the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, honoring his athletic achievements including leading the University of Chicago to their first Big Ten Conference title in 1907.

Image source: Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame

Induction into Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame

Key Facts

  1. Edwin Hubble was born on November 20, 1889, in Marshfield, Missouri, and was also a talented athlete and Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University.
  2. In 1924, Hubble proved that Andromeda and other spiral nebulae were separate galaxies far beyond the Milky Way, dramatically expanding the known size of the universe.
  3. In 1929, Hubble formulated what became known as Hubble's Law, showing that galaxies move away from each other faster the farther they are, providing evidence for the expansion of the universe.
  4. Hubble developed a classification system for galaxies—known as the Hubble sequence or tuning-fork diagram—that divides them into ellipticals, spirals, and barred spirals.
  5. Hubble worked primarily with the 100-inch Hooker Telescope at Mount Wilson Observatory in California, then the most powerful telescope in the world; NASA's Hubble Space Telescope was later named in his honor.

Source

This Edwin Hubble timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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