Richard Feynman

American theoretical physicist (1918–1988)
Person human Q39246
Press Enter · cited answer in seconds

Richard Feynman was born on May 11, 1918, in Queens[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] and died of abdominal cancer on February 15, 1988, in Los Angeles[1][2][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][4][14]. He was buried at the Mountain View Cemetery and Mausoleum[15][7]. He was an atheist[16][17] and had two spouses, including Arline Feynman, who was married to him from 1942 to 1945[18][19], and was the father of Michelle Feynman[20][19][21]. His education included Far Rockaway High School, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Princeton University[4].

Professionally, he worked as a physicist, quantum physicist, inventor, writer, university teacher, and percussionist[22]. His employers were the Manhattan Project from 1941 to 1945, Cornell University from 1945 to 1950, and the California Institute of Technology from 1950 to 1988[4]. He worked in the fields of quantum electrodynamics, particle physics, and physics[23], and was influenced by Paul Dirac.

He received numerous awards, including the Nobel Prize in Physics, the Oersted Medal, the Niels Bohr International Gold Medal, the Albert Einstein Award, the National Medal of Science, and was a Foreign Member of the Royal Society, among two others[24][25][26][4][27]. He was also a member of the Royal Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Physical Society, and the National Academy of Sciences[28].

Richard Feynman

Summary

Richard Feynman is a human[1]. Born in Queens[2], he… he passed away in Los Angeles[3]. He worked as a physicist[4], quantum physicist[5], inventor[6], writer[7], and university teacher[8]. He ranks in the top 0.21% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (16,722 views/month, #2,107 of 1,000,298).[9]

Key Facts

  • Born in Queens[2], Richard Feynman…
  • Richard Feynman's place of birth was Far Rockaway[10].
  • Richard Feynman died in Los Angeles[3].
  • Richard Feynman passed away in UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center[11].
  • Richard Feynman is buried at Mountain View Cemetery and Mausoleum[12].
  • Richard Feynman's father was Melville Arthur Feynman[13].
  • Richard Feynman's mother was Lucille Feynman[14].
  • Richard Feynman was married to Arline Feynman[15].
  • A child of Richard Feynman was Michelle Feynman[16].
  • Richard Feynman held citizenship in United States[17].
  • American English was Richard Feynman's native language[18].
  • Richard Feynman worked as a physicist[4].
  • Richard Feynman worked as a quantum physicist[5].
  • Richard Feynman worked as an inventor[6].
  • Richard Feynman worked as a writer[7].
  • Richard Feynman worked as a university teacher[8].
  • Richard Feynman's professions included percussionist[19].
  • Richard Feynman's field of work was quantum electrodynamics[20].
  • Richard Feynman's field of work was particle physics[21].
  • Richard Feynman's field of work was physics[22].
  • Among Richard Feynman's employers was Cornell University[23].
  • Richard Feynman was employed by California Institute of Technology[24].
  • Richard Feynman was employed by Manhattan Project[25].
  • Richard Feynman was educated at Far Rockaway High School[26].
  • Richard Feynman's education included a stint at Massachusetts Institute of Technology[27].

Product Details

The following facts are restated verbatim from public-domain and CC0 open-data sources — every line is independently verifiable against the named source's catalog.

MusicBrainz — CC0 open music encyclopedia

  • Type: Person[28]

  • Country: US[29]

  • Began / founded: 1918-05-11[30]

  • Ended / dissolved: 1988-02-15[31]

  • Community tags: physicist[32]

  • MusicBrainz ID: 5338b697-7647-4bd8-a288-c0fef9bba9f4[33]

Body

Origins and Family

Recorded place of birth include Queens[2], a borough of New York City[34], in United States[35], founded in 1683[36] and Far Rockaway[10], a neighborhood[37], in United States[38]. Richard Feynman's father was Melville Arthur Feynman[13]. His mother was Lucille Feynman[14]. American English was his native language[18].

Education

Educated at Far Rockaway High School[26], a high school[39], in United States[40], founded in 1897[41]; Massachusetts Institute of Technology[27], a university[42], in United States[43], founded in 1861[44], headquartered in Cambridge[45]; and Princeton University[46], a private university[47], in United States[48], founded in 1746[49], headquartered in Princeton[50]. Richard Feynman's doctoral advisor was John Archibald Wheeler[51].

Career and Affiliations

Recorded occupations include physicist[4], quantum physicist[5], inventor[6], writer[7], university teacher[8], and percussionist[19]. Fields of work include quantum electrodynamics[20], a branch of physics[52], founded in 1927[53]; particle physics[21], a branch of physics[54]; and physics[22], a branch of science[55]. Employers include Cornell University[23], a private university[56], in United States[57], founded in 1865[58], headquartered in Ithaca[59]; California Institute of Technology[24], a university[60], in United States[61], founded in 1891[62], headquartered in California[63]; and Manhattan Project[25], a military project[64], in United States[65], headquartered in Oak Ridge[66]. Doctoral students include George Zweig[67], Thomas Curtright[68], Michel Baranger[69], Al Hibbs[70], Laurie Brown[71], and Howard Arthur Kabakow[72].

Recognition

Awards received include Nobel Prize in Physics[73], a physics award[74], in Sweden[75], founded in 1901[76]; Oersted Medal[77], a science award[78], in United States[79], founded in 1936[80]; Niels Bohr International Gold Medal[81]; Albert Einstein Award[82]; Foreign Member of the Royal Society[83]; and National Medal of Science[84].

Personal Life

Among Richard Feynman's spouses was Arline Feynman[15]. A child of him was Michelle Feynman[16]. His religion is recorded as atheism[85].

Death and Burial

Recorded place of death include Los Angeles[3], a charter city[86], in United States[87], founded in 1781[88] and UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center[11], a hospital[89], in United States[90], founded in 1955[91]. Burial took place at Mountain View Cemetery and Mausoleum[12].

Works and Contributions

Things named for Richard Feynman include Feynman diagram[92], Feynman point[93], Feynman–Kac formula[94], The Feynman Lectures on Physics[95], Hellmann–Feynman theorem[96], reverse sprinkler[97], Feynman Prize in Nanotechnology[98], and Universal quantum simulator[99].

Why It Matters

Richard Feynman ranks in the top 0.21% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (16,722 views/month, #2,107 of 1,000,298).[9] He has Wikipedia articles in 30 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[100] He is known by 116 alternative names across languages and contexts.[101]

He has been cited as an influence by Freeman Dyson[102], a mathematician[103], 1923–2020[104], of United Kingdom[105], awarded the Templeton Prize[106], specialised in mathematical physics[107]; Sean M. Carroll[108], a physicist[109], b. 1966[110], of United States[111], awarded the Fellow of the American Physical Society[112], specialised in physics[113]; Jill Tarter[114], an astronomer[115], b. 1944[116], of United States[117], awarded the TED Prize[118], specialised in astronomy[119]; Leonard Mlodinow[120], a physicist[121], b. 1954[122], of United States[123], awarded the PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award[124], specialised in mathematical physics[125]; Douglas Osheroff[126], a physicist[127], b. 1945[128], of United States[129], awarded the MacArthur Fellows Program[130], specialised in physics[131]; and Ali Bakhshi[132], a scientist[133], b. 1995[134], of Iran[135], awarded the silver medal[136], specialised in engineering physics[137].

Works attributed to him include “Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!”[138], a literary work[139]; The Feynman Lectures on Physics[140], a textbook[141]; There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom[142]; “What Do You Care What Other People Think?”[143]; QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter[144]; and The Character of Physical Law[145]. Entities named for him include Feynman diagram[92], Feynman point[93], Feynman–Kac formula[94], The Feynman Lectures on Physics[95], Hellmann–Feynman theorem[96], and reverse sprinkler[97].

His notable doctoral advisees include Giovanni Rossi Lomanitz[146], George Zweig[147], James M. Bardeen[148], Al Hibbs[149], and Finn Ravndal[150].

FAQs

Where was Richard Feynman born?

Richard Feynman's place of birth was Queens[2].

Where did Richard Feynman die?

Richard Feynman passed away in Los Angeles[3].

Who were Richard Feynman's parents?

Richard Feynman's father was Melville Arthur Feynman[13]. Richard Feynman's mother was Lucille Feynman[14].

Who was Richard Feynman married to?

Richard Feynman's spouses include Arline Feynman[15].

What did Richard Feynman do for work?

Richard Feynman worked as physicist[4], quantum physicist[5], inventor[6], writer[7], and university teacher[8].

Where did Richard Feynman go to school?

Richard Feynman was educated at Far Rockaway High School[26], Massachusetts Institute of Technology[27], and Princeton University[46].

What awards did Richard Feynman receive?

Honors received include Nobel Prize in Physics[73], Oersted Medal[77], Niels Bohr International Gold Medal[81], and Albert Einstein Award[82].

Who did Richard Feynman influence?

Richard Feynman has been cited as an influence by Freeman Dyson[102], Sean M. Carroll[108], Jill Tarter[114], and Leonard Mlodinow[120].

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

  1. [2] . Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  2. [10] . FamilySearch Family Tree. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  3. [3] . Integrated Authority File. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  4. [11] . FamilySearch Family Tree. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  5. [13] . wikidata.org.
  6. [14] . wikidata.org.
  7. [15] . Los Angeles Times. Retrieved . latimes.com. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  8. [17] . wikidata.org.
  9. [16] . The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. Retrieved . aapt.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  10. [26] . Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  11. [27] . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. wikidata.org.
  12. [46] . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. wikidata.org.
  13. [20] . Internet Archive. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  14. [21] . wikidata.org.
  15. [22] . wikidata.org.
  16. [18] . wikidata.org.
  17. [4] . The Fine Art Archive. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  18. [5] . wikidata.org.
  19. [6] . wikidata.org.
  20. [7] . wikidata.org.
  21. [8] . wikidata.org.
  22. [19] . wikidata.org.
  23. [23] . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. wikidata.org.
  24. [24] . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. wikidata.org.
  25. [25] . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. wikidata.org.
  26. [12] . Find a Grave. Retrieved . mtn-view.com. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  27. [85] . “What Do You Care What Other People Think?”. Retrieved . zhihu.com. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  28. [73] . nobelprize.org. nobelprize.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  29. [77] . aapt.org. aapt.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  30. [81] . wikidata.org.
  31. [82] . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. wikidata.org.
  32. [83] . docs.google.com. docs.google.com. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  33. [84] . wikidata.org.
  34. [51] . forbes.com. forbes.com. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  35. [67] . wikidata.org.
  36. [68] . Mathematics Genealogy Project. wikidata.org.
  37. [69] . Mathematics Genealogy Project. wikidata.org.
  38. [70] . Mathematics Genealogy Project. wikidata.org.
  39. [71] . Mathematics Genealogy Project. wikidata.org.
  40. [72] . Mathematics Genealogy Project. wikidata.org.

Product details (FDA / USDA / NHTSA public-domain catalog data)

  1. [28] . MusicBrainz (MetaBrainz Foundation). musicbrainz.org.
  2. [29] . MusicBrainz (MetaBrainz Foundation). musicbrainz.org.
  3. [30] . MusicBrainz (MetaBrainz Foundation). musicbrainz.org.
  4. [31] . MusicBrainz (MetaBrainz Foundation). musicbrainz.org.
  5. [32] . MusicBrainz (MetaBrainz Foundation). musicbrainz.org.
  6. [33] . MusicBrainz (MetaBrainz Foundation). musicbrainz.org.

Inverse relationships (entities pointing at this one)

  1. [102] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [108] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [114] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [120] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [126] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [132] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [138] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  8. [140] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  9. [142] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  10. [143] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  11. [144] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  12. [145] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  13. [146] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  14. [147] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  15. [148] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  16. [149] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  17. [150] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  18. [92] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  19. [93] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  20. [94] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  21. [95] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  22. [96] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  23. [97] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  24. [98] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  25. [99] . wikidata.org. → on this site

Inline context (facts about related entities)

  1. [34] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [35] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [36] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [37] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [38] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [86] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [87] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  8. [88] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  9. [89] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  10. [90] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  11. [91] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  12. [39] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  13. [40] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  14. [41] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  15. [42] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  16. [43] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  17. [44] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  18. [45] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  19. [47] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  20. [48] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  21. [49] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  22. [50] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  23. [52] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  24. [53] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  25. [54] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  26. [55] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  27. [56] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  28. [57] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  29. [58] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  30. [59] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  31. [60] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  32. [61] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  33. [62] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  34. [63] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  35. [64] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  36. [65] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  37. [66] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  38. [74] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  39. [75] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  40. [76] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  41. [78] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  42. [79] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  43. [80] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  44. [103] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  45. [104] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  46. [105] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  47. [106] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  48. [107] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  49. [109] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  50. [110] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  51. [111] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  52. [112] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  53. [113] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  54. [115] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  55. [116] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  56. [117] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  57. [118] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  58. [119] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  59. [121] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  60. [122] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  61. [123] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  62. [124] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  63. [125] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  64. [127] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  65. [128] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  66. [129] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  67. [130] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  68. [131] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  69. [133] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  70. [134] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  71. [135] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  72. [136] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  73. [137] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  74. [139] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  75. [141] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site

Class ancestry

  1. [1] . Wikidata. wikidata.org.

Aggregate / graph-position facts

  1. [9] . Wikimedia Foundation. dumps.wikimedia.org.
  2. [100] . Wikidata sitelinks. wikidata.org.
  3. [101] . Wikidata aliases. wikidata.org.

📑 Cite this page

Use these citations when quoting this entity in research, articles, AI prompts, or wherever provenance matters. We aggregate Wikidata + Wikipedia + authoritative open-data sources; the stitched, scored, cross-referenced view is what 4ort.xyz contributes.

APA 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). Richard Feynman. Retrieved April 18, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/richard-feynman
MLA “Richard Feynman.” 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph, 4ort.xyz, 18 Apr. 2026, https://4ort.xyz/entity/richard-feynman.
BibTeX @misc{4ortxyz_richard-feynman_2026, author = {{4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph}}, title = {{Richard Feynman}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://4ort.xyz/entity/richard-feynman}, note = {Accessed: 2026-04-18}}
LLM prompt According to 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph (aggregator of Wikidata, Wikipedia, and authoritative open-data sources): Richard Feynman — https://4ort.xyz/entity/richard-feynman (retrieved 2026-04-18)

Canonical URL: https://4ort.xyz/entity/richard-feynman · Last refreshed:

Edit History

Rolling log of changes to this entity's Wikidata record. Values shown reflect the current state of each edited property — follow the history link to see the precise diff for any edit.

  1. 29d ago · MarisDreshmanisBot bot · 2026-05-06 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Image last checked license
    Image unavailable reason
    Image needs reharvest
    Image purged license
    + 1 other property edited (see Wikidata diff for full list)
    "/* wbeditentity-update-languages:0||77 */ Add multilingual descriptions (77 languages) — Task 12 (Nobel laureates) — deterministic from P106 (occupation) + P27 (citizenship) labels, no machine transla"
Live feed via Wikidata EventStreams. New edits appear within minutes of being made on Wikidata.