Feb. 28 is Linus Pauling Day in Oregon

(FEBRUARY 8, 2021) Every February 28, Oregon honors one of its most famous citizens: Linus Pauling. He was a famous scientist and humanitarian. He was also the only person who won two unshared Nobel Prizes in different research areas.

Pauling was born in Portland in 1901. He became interested in chemistry as a child. At 15 years old -- without even finishing high school -- he entered Oregon Agricultural College. Later, he received a Ph.D. degree from California Institute of Technology. He spent a long career there teaching and conducting research.

In 1954, Pauling won a Nobel Prize for chemistry. He studied chemical bonds and the structure of molecules. Eight years later, he won a second Nobel prize. This was the Nobel Peace Prize. The award honored his work to ban the testing of nuclear weapons.

Pauling died in 1994. He had published more than 1,200 books and papers.