Theodore von Kármán

Theodore von Kármán
Von Kármán in 1957
Born(1881-05-11)May 11, 1881
DiedMay 6, 1963(1963-05-06) (aged 81)
Resting placeHollywood Forever Cemetery
Hollywood, California U.S.
NationalityHungarian
Citizenship
  • Hungary
  • United States
Alma mater
Known for
Awards
Scientific career
FieldsAerospace engineering
Institutions
Thesis Investigations on buckling strength  (1908)
Doctoral advisorLudwig Prandtl
Doctoral students

Theodore von Kármán (Hungarian: (szőllőskislaki) Kármán Tódor [(søːløːʃkiʃlɒki) ˈkaːrmaːn ˈtoːdor], May 11, 1881  May 6, 1963) was a Hungarian-American mathematician, aerospace engineer, and physicist who worked in aeronautics and astronautics. He was responsible for crucial advances in aerodynamics characterizing supersonic and hypersonic airflow. The human-defined threshold of outer space is named the "Kármán line" in recognition of his work. Kármán is regarded as an outstanding aerodynamic theoretician of the 20th century.