Johannes Diderik van der Waals was a Dutch physicist born on November 23, 1837. He is best known for his work in thermodynamics and molecular theory, particularly for developing the van der Waals equation, which describes the behavior of real gases. This equation accounts for the volume occupied by gas molecules and the attractive forces between them, improving upon the ideal gas law. In 1910, van der Waals was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributions to the understanding of the physical properties of matter. His research laid the groundwork for modern physical chemistry and has had a lasting impact on the study of gases and liquids.