Birth of Mária Telkes

On 12 December 1900, Mária Telkes was born in Budapest, then part of the Austro‑Hungarian Empire. Growing up in a city that was rapidly modernizing, she developed an early fascination with science and technology, interests that would later shape her pioneering career in solar energy.

Telkes studied at the University of Budapest, earning a B.A. in physical chemistry in 1920 and a Ph.D. in 1924, achievements that were exceptional for a woman in the early 20th century. Her advanced education positioned her to enter the male‑dominated worlds of biophysics, engineering, and industrial research. In 1925 she emigrated to the United States, where she worked at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Westinghouse, and later the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

This birthdate marks the beginning of the life of a scientist later dubbed the “Sun Queen” for her relentless commitment to harnessing solar energy for practical human use. Her work on solar stills for potable water, solar‑heated houses, and thermal storage helped lay foundations for modern renewable‑energy technologies. In the context of her era—when both solar power and women’s scientific careers were marginalized—Telkes’s birth represents the starting point of a pathbreaking figure who would challenge technological limits and social expectations alike.