PHYSICIST
Ernst Abbe
1840 - 1905

Ernst Abbe
Ernst Karl Abbe (23 January 1840 – 14 January 1905) was a German businessman, optical engineer, physicist, and social reformer. Together with Otto Schott and Carl Zeiss, he developed numerous optical instruments. He was also a co-owner of Carl Zeiss AG, a German manufacturer of scientific microscopes, astronomical telescopes, planetariums, and other advanced optical systems. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Ernst Abbe is the 166th most popular physicist (down from 131st in 2019), the 430th most popular biography from Germany (down from 426th in 2019) and the 26th most popular German Physicist.
Ernst Abbe was a German physicist and mathematician who is most famous for the invention of the Abbe refractometer.
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Among PHYSICISTS
Among physicists, Ernst Abbe ranks 166 out of 851. Before him are Johann Jakob Balmer, Joseph Henry, Hippolyte Fizeau, Augustin-Jean Fresnel, Georges Charpak, and Gerd Binnig. After him are Paul Langevin, Hideki Yukawa, François Englert, George E. Smith, Polykarp Kusch, and Edmond Becquerel.
Most Popular Physicists in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsJohann Jakob Balmer
1825 - 1898
HPI: 73.48
Rank: 160
Joseph Henry
1797 - 1878
HPI: 73.46
Rank: 161
Hippolyte Fizeau
1819 - 1896
HPI: 73.36
Rank: 162
Augustin-Jean Fresnel
1788 - 1827
HPI: 73.35
Rank: 163
Georges Charpak
1924 - 2010
HPI: 73.25
Rank: 164
Gerd Binnig
1947 - Present
HPI: 73.15
Rank: 165
Ernst Abbe
1840 - 1905
HPI: 73.14
Rank: 166
Paul Langevin
1872 - 1946
HPI: 73.08
Rank: 167
Hideki Yukawa
1907 - 1981
HPI: 73.06
Rank: 168
François Englert
1932 - Present
HPI: 73.03
Rank: 169
George E. Smith
1930 - 2025
HPI: 72.94
Rank: 170
Polykarp Kusch
1911 - 1993
HPI: 72.84
Rank: 171
Edmond Becquerel
1820 - 1891
HPI: 72.83
Rank: 172
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1840, Ernst Abbe ranks 12. Before him are Carlota of Mexico, Victoria, Princess Royal, Murad V, Alphonse Daudet, Odilon Redon, and Edward Drinker Cope. After him are Carl Menger, Hiram Maxim, Father Damien, John Boyd Dunlop, August Bebel, and Crazy Horse. Among people deceased in 1905, Ernst Abbe ranks 4. Before him are Jules Verne, William-Adolphe Bouguereau, and Muhammad Abduh. After him are Ferdinand von Richthofen, Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Adolph Menzel, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia, Louise Michel, Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, Carl Wernicke, and Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders.
Others Born in 1840
Go to all RankingsCarlota of Mexico
COMPANION
1840 - 1927
HPI: 79.22
Rank: 6
Victoria, Princess Royal
COMPANION
1840 - 1901
HPI: 77.93
Rank: 7
Murad V
POLITICIAN
1840 - 1904
HPI: 77.08
Rank: 8
Alphonse Daudet
WRITER
1840 - 1897
HPI: 75.83
Rank: 9
Odilon Redon
PAINTER
1840 - 1916
HPI: 75.03
Rank: 10
Edward Drinker Cope
ARCHAEOLOGIST
1840 - 1897
HPI: 74.30
Rank: 11
Ernst Abbe
PHYSICIST
1840 - 1905
HPI: 73.14
Rank: 12
Carl Menger
ECONOMIST
1840 - 1921
HPI: 72.92
Rank: 13
Hiram Maxim
INVENTOR
1840 - 1916
HPI: 72.58
Rank: 14
Father Damien
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1840 - 1889
HPI: 71.72
Rank: 15
John Boyd Dunlop
INVENTOR
1840 - 1921
HPI: 71.68
Rank: 16
August Bebel
POLITICIAN
1840 - 1913
HPI: 71.68
Rank: 17
Crazy Horse
POLITICIAN
1840 - 1877
HPI: 70.33
Rank: 18
Others Deceased in 1905
Go to all RankingsJules Verne
WRITER
1828 - 1905
HPI: 88.32
Rank: 1
William-Adolphe Bouguereau
PAINTER
1825 - 1905
HPI: 75.56
Rank: 2
Muhammad Abduh
PHILOSOPHER
1849 - 1905
HPI: 73.35
Rank: 3
Ernst Abbe
PHYSICIST
1840 - 1905
HPI: 73.14
Rank: 4
Ferdinand von Richthofen
GEOGRAPHER
1833 - 1905
HPI: 72.92
Rank: 5
Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg
POLITICIAN
1817 - 1905
HPI: 71.96
Rank: 6
Adolph Menzel
ARTIST
1815 - 1905
HPI: 70.49
Rank: 7
Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia
NOBLEMAN
1857 - 1905
HPI: 69.96
Rank: 8
Louise Michel
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1830 - 1905
HPI: 69.60
Rank: 9
Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza
EXPLORER
1852 - 1905
HPI: 68.17
Rank: 10
Carl Wernicke
PHYSICIAN
1848 - 1905
HPI: 68.05
Rank: 11
Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders
NOBLEMAN
1837 - 1905
HPI: 67.97
Rank: 12
In Germany
Among people born in Germany, Ernst Abbe ranks 430 out of 7,253. Before him are Emil Nolde (1867), Gerd Binnig (1947), Otto Dix (1891), Levi Strauss (1829), Manfred Eigen (1927), and Sepp Maier (1944). After him are Otto Loewi (1873), Otto Lilienthal (1848), Leo von Caprivi (1831), Pina Bausch (1940), Hans Krebs (1898), and Maria Anna of Bavaria (1805).
Others born in Germany
Go to all RankingsEmil Nolde
PAINTER
1867 - 1956
HPI: 73.18
Rank: 424
Gerd Binnig
PHYSICIST
1947 - Present
HPI: 73.15
Rank: 425
Otto Dix
PAINTER
1891 - 1969
HPI: 73.15
Rank: 426
Levi Strauss
BUSINESSPERSON
1829 - 1902
HPI: 73.15
Rank: 427
Manfred Eigen
CHEMIST
1927 - 2019
HPI: 73.15
Rank: 428
Sepp Maier
COACH
1944 - Present
HPI: 73.14
Rank: 429
Ernst Abbe
PHYSICIST
1840 - 1905
HPI: 73.14
Rank: 430
Otto Loewi
PHYSICIAN
1873 - 1961
HPI: 73.11
Rank: 431
Otto Lilienthal
ENGINEER
1848 - 1896
HPI: 73.11
Rank: 432
Leo von Caprivi
POLITICIAN
1831 - 1899
HPI: 73.09
Rank: 433
Pina Bausch
DANCER
1940 - 2009
HPI: 73.09
Rank: 434
Hans Krebs
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1898 - 1945
HPI: 73.08
Rank: 435
Maria Anna of Bavaria
POLITICIAN
1805 - 1877
HPI: 73.08
Rank: 436
Among PHYSICISTS In Germany
Among physicists born in Germany, Ernst Abbe ranks 26. Before him are James Franck (1882), Arno Allan Penzias (1933), Rudolf Mössbauer (1929), George Paget Thomson (1892), Hans Georg Dehmelt (1922), and Gerd Binnig (1947). After him are Polykarp Kusch (1911), Julius von Mayer (1814), Herbert Kroemer (1928), Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742), Hans Geiger (1882), and Horst Ludwig Störmer (1949).
James Franck
1882 - 1964
HPI: 74.48
Rank: 20
Arno Allan Penzias
1933 - 2024
HPI: 74.19
Rank: 21
Rudolf Mössbauer
1929 - 2011
HPI: 74.03
Rank: 22
George Paget Thomson
1892 - 1975
HPI: 73.90
Rank: 23
Hans Georg Dehmelt
1922 - 2017
HPI: 73.54
Rank: 24
Gerd Binnig
1947 - Present
HPI: 73.15
Rank: 25
Ernst Abbe
1840 - 1905
HPI: 73.14
Rank: 26
Polykarp Kusch
1911 - 1993
HPI: 72.84
Rank: 27
Julius von Mayer
1814 - 1878
HPI: 72.68
Rank: 28
Herbert Kroemer
1928 - 2024
HPI: 72.63
Rank: 29
Georg Christoph Lichtenberg
1742 - 1799
HPI: 72.28
Rank: 30
Hans Geiger
1882 - 1945
HPI: 72.18
Rank: 31
Horst Ludwig Störmer
1949 - Present
HPI: 71.83
Rank: 32