Nick Holonyak Jr.

In 1962, while working at General Electric, Holonyak created the first visible-light emitting diode, producing a red glow. This breakthrough demonstrated that LEDs could generate light visible to the human eye, not just infrared radiation.

He worked at General Electric's research laboratory before joining the faculty at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. At Illinois, he spent decades conducting pioneering research on semiconductors, lasers, and optoelectronics.

His 1962 red LED is widely regarded as the foundation of all modern LED technology, which later expanded into blue, green, and white LEDs that power today's lighting, displays, and optical communications. He predicted that LEDs would eventually replace incandescent bulbs.

He received numerous honors including the National Medal of Science, the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, and the Japan Prize. Despite being a strong candidate, he was never awarded the Nobel Prize, which many in the scientific community viewed as an oversight.