Hugh Everett III

Hugh Everett III proposed the relative-state formulation of quantum mechanics in his 1957 doctoral work at Princeton. The idea later became widely associated with the many-worlds interpretation.

Everett's original terminology was relative state, not the later popular phrase many worlds. The many-worlds label became more common through later discussion, including work by Bryce DeWitt.

John Archibald Wheeler supervised Everett's doctoral work at Princeton University. Wheeler helped bring Everett's idea into contact with the wider physics community, though it remained controversial for many years.

Everett left full-time academic physics and worked in defense analysis and operations research. His interpretation gained much broader attention later, especially in discussions of quantum foundations in the late 20th century.