Gamow was one of the prominent scientists of the 20th century. He was born in Odessa on March 4, 1904 in the family of a secondary school teacher.

In 1921 Gamow entered the Novorossijskij (Odessa) University and worked in Odessa Astronomical Observatory. In 1923 Gamow continued his studies in the University of Petrograd (St. Petersburg).  His further scientific work was done in the institutions of Leningrad, Goettingen, Copenhagen, Cambridge (UK) and the USA (Washington, Colorado).

Main scientific achievements of G.Gamow include the creation of alpha and beta-decay theory and the theory of exploding Universe. Gamow was the first to decipher a genetic code. Through his brilliant popular lectures, books and articles he promoted public interest to science. 

In 1956 he received the Calling Prize awarded by UNESCO for science popularization. 

George Gamow had the true Odessa temperament, his scientific ingenuity and cheerful humor were inexhaustible. His life was full of legends. The memory of Gamow lives among the people who worked together with him and everybody who is imbued with beauty and elegance of Gamow's findings.

For more information about Gamow's biography see here.

In 1994, in the year of his 90-th anniversary, an International Conference "Astrophysics and cosmology after Gamow" was held in Odessa and St.Petersburg. The idea of this conference is supported by the UNESCO representation in Russia and by the International Renaissance Foundation (Odessa branch) (affiliation of the Soros Foundation).

In 1999, in the year of his 95-th anniversary, an International Conference "The universe of Gamow: original ideas in astrophysics  and cosmology" was held in Odessa and St.Petersburg.

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