Robert Curl is an American chemist best known for his discovery of fullerenes, a class of carbon molecules that include the famous buckminsterfullerene, which resembles a soccer ball. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1996, along with Richard Smalley and Sir Harold Kroto, for their groundbreaking work in this area. Born on August 23, 1933, in Alice, Texas, Curl earned his Ph.D. from Rice University. He has spent much of his career at the same institution, contributing significantly to the field of chemistry through research and education. His work has had a lasting impact on materials science and nanotechnology.