It was 1895 that an amazing discovery was made. This discovery would fundamentally alter the way we see the human body both literally and metaphorically. A million new technologies in medicine, security and many other areas would emerge from this discovery. Who was the man who discovered this? Wilhelm Rontgen is perhaps the most important man in medical history. World Radiography Day commemorates his discovery, and all that has come from it.

Wilhelm accidentally discovered the X-Ray in an experiment to determine if cathode rays can pass through glass. A chemically coated screen was located nearby, emitting an odd glow. These rays were dubbed X-Rays. You might be wondering why? Because he didn‚Äôt know what they were, the ubiquitous ‘X for unknown’ was used. Since then, they’ve been known as X-Rays.

What are x-rays? These are energy waves of electromagnetism, which act in the same way as light rays but have a very short wavelength. They are 1,000 times shorter than the wavelengths of light. After he found them, he experimented extensively with them to determine what they could pass through and how they could best be photographed. He discovered that lead absorbs it almost completely and that human bone can stop it. This gave him a unique way to view the human body.

X-Rays were extensively used during the Balkan War in order to locate bullets and shrapnel in soldiers on the field. X-Rays were widely used in shoe-fittings, until it was obvious that it wasn’t just fun and games. They are now used to check security at airports and for material analysis. However, safety is more important.

It’s a great way to commemorate World Radiography Day by researching X-Rays, and what they have done for us. You can then sit down and think about all the ways x-rays have been used in modern life.