Who Is Abdus Salam? Age, Biography, and Wiki
Abdus Salam was born on January 29, 1926, in Jhang, Punjab, British India (now Pakistan). As of 2025, he would be 99 years old. Salam was a pioneer in the field of theoretical physics, known for his profound contributions to the understanding of fundamental forces in particle physics. His groundbreaking work earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1979, making him the first Pakistani and the first Muslim to receive this esteemed award. Throughout his career, he dedicated himself to science and education, strongly advocating for the development of scientific research in developing countries.
| Occupation | Technology |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | January 29, 1926 |
| Age | 70 Years |
| Birth Place | Jhang, Punjab Province, British India (present day Punjab, Pakistan) |
| Horoscope | Aquarius |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Date of death | 21 November, 1996 |
| Died Place | Oxford, England |
Popularity
Abdus Salam's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
While specific details on Abdus Salam's height, weight, and body measurements are not readily available, it is important to note that he was often described as a reserved and modest individual. His physical attributes are secondary to the incredible impact he made in the realm of theoretical physics.
Physicists had believed that there were four fundamental forces of nature: the gravitational force, the strong and weak nuclear forces, and the electromagnetic force. Salam had worked on the unification of these forces from 1959 with Glashow and Weinberg.
While at Imperial College London, Salam successfully showed that weak nuclear forces are not really different from electromagnetic forces, and two could inter-convert. Salam provided a theory that shows the unification of two fundamental forces of nature, weak nuclear forces and the electromagnetic forces, one into another.
Glashow had also formulated the same work, and the theory was combined in 1966. In 1967, Salam proved the electroweak unification theory mathematically, and finally published the papers. For this achievement, Salam, Glashow, and Weinberg were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1979.
The Nobel Prize Foundation paid tribute to the scientists and issued a statement saying: "For their contributions to the theory of the unified weak and electromagnetic interaction between elementary particles, including, inter alia, the prediction of the weak neutral current".
Salam took the Nobel Prize medal to the house of his former professor, Anilendra Ganguly, who taught him at the Sanatan Dharma College in Lahore, and placed the medal around his neck, stating "Mr Anilendra Ganguly this medal is a result of your teaching and love of mathematics that you instilled in me".
In the 1970s Salam continued trying to unify forces by including the strong interaction in a grand unified theory.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Abdus Salam was married to his wife, Nagheen Salam, and together they had three children. He maintained a private life, focusing much of his energy on his scientific endeavors. Although not much is publicly documented about his dating life prior to marriage, his commitment to family and academia was a significant aspect of his life.
Salam was scientific advisor to the Ministry of Science and Technology in Pakistan from 1960 to 1974, a position from which he played a major and influential role in the development of the country's science infrastructure. Salam contributed to numerous developments in theoretical and particle physics in Pakistan.
He was the founding director of the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), and responsible for the establishment of the Theoretical Physics Group (TPG). For this, he is viewed as the "scientific father" of this program.
In 1974, Abdus Salam departed from his country in protest after the Parliament of Pakistan unanimously passed a parliamentary bill declaring members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, to which Salam belonged, non-Muslim.
In 1998, following the country's Chagai-I nuclear tests, the Government of Pakistan issued a commemorative stamp, as a part of "Scientists of Pakistan", to honour the services of Salam.
Net Worth and Salary
At the time of his passing in 1996, Abdus Salam's net worth is not widely disclosed. However, it is known that his contributions to science opened various avenues for earning through academic positions, research grants, and consulting. As a Nobel laureate, his prestige in the scientific community would have contributed to substantial income through lectures and collaborations.
Abdus Salam died on 21 November 1996 at the age of 70 in Oxford, England, from progressive supranuclear palsy. His body was returned to Pakistan and kept in Darul Ziafat, where some 13,000 men and women visited to pay their last respects. Approximately 30,000 people attended his funeral prayers.
Career, Business, and Investments
Abdus Salam's career spanned several years and included prominent positions such as the Director of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy. His work primarily focused on electroweak theory and particle physics. Furthermore, he was instrumental in encouraging and supporting young physicists from developing nations, helping to create a more inclusive scientific community. Salam's passion for education and research left a lasting impact, leading to increased investments in science in various countries.
Early in his career, Salam made an important and significant contribution in quantum electrodynamics and quantum field theory, including its extension into particle and nuclear physics. In his early career in Pakistan, Salam was greatly interested in mathematical series and their relation to physics.
Salam had played an influential role in the advancement of nuclear physics, but he maintained and dedicated himself to mathematics and theoretical physics and focused Pakistan to do more research in theoretical physics.
However, he regarded nuclear physics (nuclear fission and nuclear power) as a non-pioneering part of physics as it had already "happened". Even in Pakistan, Salam was the leading driving force in theoretical physics, with many scientists he continued to influence and encourage to keep their work on theoretical physics.
Social Network
Though Abdus Salam was not part of the social media era, his legacy persists through various professional organizations and networks in the scientific community. His work continues to inspire countless physicists around the world. In death, his contributions are celebrated through awards and foundations established in his name, promoting research and education in theoretical physics, especially in developing nations.
After receiving his doctorate in 1951, Salam returned to Lahore at the Government College University as a Professor of Mathematics where he remained till 1954. In 1952, he was appointed professor and Chair of the Department of Mathematics at the neighbouring University of the Punjab.
In the latter capacity, Salam sought to update the university curriculum, introducing a course in quantum mechanics as a part of the undergraduate curriculum. However, this initiative was soon reverted by the Vice-Chancellor, and Salam decided to teach an evening course in Quantum Mechanics outside the regular curriculum.
While Salam enjoyed a mixed popularity in the university, he began to supervise the education of students who were particularly influenced by him.
As a result, Riazuddin remained the only student of Salam who had the privilege to study under Salam at the undergraduate and post-graduate level in Lahore, and post-doctoral level in Cambridge University. In 1953, Salam was unable to establish a research institute in Lahore, as he faced strong opposition from his peers.
In 1954, Salam took fellowship and became one of the earliest fellows of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences. As a result of 1953 Lahore riots, Salam went back to Cambridge and joined St John's College, and took a position as a professor of mathematics in 1954.
In 1957, he was invited to take a chair at Imperial College, London, and he and Paul Matthews went on to set up the Theoretical Physics Group at Imperial College. As time passed, this department became one of the prestigious research departments that included well known physicists such as Steven Weinberg, Tom Kibble, Gerald Guralnik, C. R.
Hagen, Riazuddin, and John Ward.
Education
Abdus Salam's academic journey took him from Government College in Lahore to Cambridge University, where he earned his PhD in 1952. His education laid a solid foundation for his future research, propelling him into the limelight as one of the foremost physicists of his time. Throughout his life, he remained dedicated to scholarly pursuits, often encouraging young students to explore the world of science.
He belonged to the Rajput community, his son Ahmad Salam later recounting that he would tell him stories of Rajput cultural history "of which he was very proud"; as per Jagjit Singh in his biography of Salam, his family traced its genealogy back to a Rajput prince named Buddahn who converted to Islam at the hands of a Sufi preacher and later founde
d the city of Jhang around the year 1160.
Salam was the son of Chaudhary Muhammad Hussain, a school teacher of Jhang and Hajirah who belonged to Faizullah Chak near Batala.
