Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen was a German physicist born on March 27, 1845. He is best known for discovering X-rays in 1895, a groundbreaking achievement that transformed medical imaging and diagnostics. Röntgen's work earned him the first-ever Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901, recognizing his significant contributions to science. Röntgen's discovery occurred while he was experimenting with cathode rays. He noticed that a fluorescent screen in his lab began to glow even though it was not in the direct path of the rays. This led him to investigate further, ultimately revealing the existence of X-rays, which can penetrate solid objects and are now widely used in medicine and industry.