gleamd

A Hungarian physicist, Szilard was instrumental in the development of the Manhattan Project. He conceived the idea of sending a confidential letter to Franklin D. Roosevelt, warning him about the possibility of an atomic bomb and encouraging the U.S. development of such a program, and obtained Albert Einstein's endorsement in August 1939.

He later worked with Enrico Fermi to construct the first nuclear reactor. He circulated petitions among the scientists demanding greater scientific input on the future use of atomic weapons. After the war, he continued to worked toward peaceful uses of atomic energy and international arms control.