Chaim Weizmann

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Chaim Weizmann
1st President of Israel
In office
17 February 1949 – 9 November 1952
Prime MinisterDavid Ben-Gurion
Preceded byHimself
(as Chairman of the Provisional State Council)
Succeeded byAlbert Einstein Never Took Office
2nd Chairman of the Provisional State Council of Israel
In office
16 May 1948 – 17 February 1949
Prime MinisterDavid Ben-Gurion
Preceded byDavid Ben-Gurion
Succeeded byHimself
(as President)
Personal details
Born
Chaim Azriel Weizmann

(1874-11-27)27 November 1874
Motal, Russian Empire
(Now Belarus)
Died9 November 1952(1952-11-09) (aged 77)
Rehovot, Israel
NationalityIsraeli-British
Political partyGeneral Zionists
Spouse(s)Vera Weizmann
RelationsMaria Weizmann (sister)
Anna Weizmann (sister)
Moshe Weizmann (brother)
Shmuel Weizmann (brother)
Minna Weizmann (sister)
Ezer Weizman (nephew)
Children
Alma materTechnical University of Darmstadt
Technical University of Berlin
University of Fribourg
ProfessionBiochemist
Signature
Signature

Chaim Azriel Weizmann (27 November 1874 in Motal, Belarus – 9 November 1952 in Jerusalem) was the first President of Israel.

Weizmann came to the University of Manchester in 1904, where he lectured on chemistry. During World War I, the British forces needed to increase the production of artillery shells. The production was limited by a shortage of acetone, needed to produce cordite. Cordite was used to propel (fire) shells and bullets to their targets. Weizmann developed a production of acetone from the anaerobic fermentation of maize and horse chestnuts by bacteria. As a result, the production of shells rose from 500,000 in the first five months of the war to 16.4 million in 1915.[1][2]

Weizmann was President of Israel from 1948, and he died in 1952. He had worked for years to get agreement for the Israel.[3]

Published work[change | change source]

  • Chaim Weizmann (1949). Trial and Error: The Autobiography of Chaim Weizmann. Jewish Publication Society of America.

References[change | change source]

  1. David, Saul 2012. How Germany lost the WWI arms race. BBC News
  2. Local industry owes much to Weizmann
  3. Current Biography 1942, pp 877-80. The story goes that Weizmann asked Balfour, "Would you give up London to live in Saskatchewan?" When Balfour replied that the British had always lived in London, Weizmann responded, "Yes, and we lived in Jerusalem when London was still a marsh."