Oppenheimer: Curious about Julius Robert Oppenheimer's interesting connection to Berkeley and Princeton?

The 'father of the atomic bomb' has become a source of curiosity since the release of Christopher Nolan’s film that stars Cillian Murphy, Florence Pugh, Robert Downey Jr. Emily Blunt, and Rami Malek

Cillian Murphy as Oppenheimer in the film; (right) Julius Robert Oppenheimer

Julius Robert Oppenheimer is the subject of Christopher Nolan's latest biographical thriller, Oppenheimer. The 'father of the atomic bomb' has become a source of much curiosity since the release of the film that stars Cillian Murphy, Florence Pugh, Robert Downey Jr. Emily Blunt, and Rami Malek in important roles.

Read also: Loved Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer? Read about the scandals and secrets of the real father of the atomic bomb h

Oppenheimer's role in the Manhattan Project, a research and development undertaking during World War II that produced the first nuclear weapons, is well known. A nuclear physicist, he was the director of the Los Alamos Laboratory that designed the bombs.

Considering the renewed interest in the scientist, the research team at the global family history site MyHeritage uncovered hidden chapters of Oppenheimer's life.

Searching through their archives of over 19 billion online digitised historical records, they came across his early passport application and were able to find proof of his connection with two prestigious universities: Berkely and Princeton.

Professor at Berkeley
The website found that Oppenheimer was an established professor at Berkeley when he joined the Manhattan Project in 1942 to research and develop the first nuclear weapons.

The 1940 U.S. Census finds him living in Berkeley and working as a university professor.

Director at Princeton
In 1947, after the Second World War, Oppenheimer moved back to the East Coast of the US, where he was director of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.

He’s listed in the 1950 U.S. Census as living in Princeton with his wife Katherine and their children, Peter and Katherine.

He is listed as the Director of Advanced Study, and he declared that he worked 50 hours in the week prior to the date of the records.

Read also: Oppenheimer: The Murky Magnificence Of Christopher Nolan's Biopic

Share