Georg Wittig was a German chemist born on June 16, 1897, and he is best known for his work in organic chemistry. He developed the Wittig reaction, a method for synthesizing alkenes by reacting aldehydes or ketones with phosphonium ylides. This reaction has become a fundamental tool in organic synthesis. In 1979, Wittig was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his contributions to the field. His innovative approaches have significantly advanced the understanding of chemical reactions and have had a lasting impact on both academic research and industrial applications in chemistry.