Born: 6 April 1928 Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois Best known as:
Co-discoverer of the structure of DNA James Watson and fellow
scientist Francis Crick were the first to describe the hidden
double-helix structure of DNA molecules. They published their
findings in the journal Nature in April of 1953; the discovery
was considered tremendously significant, and in 1962 Watson and
Crick and their collaborator Maurice Wilkins were awarded the
Nobel Prize in Medicine. His account of his DNA discoveries with
Crick, The Double Helix, was published in 1968. Watson was on
the faculty of Harvard University for 21 years, from 1956-76,
and was director of the National Center for Human Genome
Research from 1989-92, after which he served as president and
later as chancellor of Cold Springs Harbor Laboratory in New
York. In later years he was known for controversial off-the-cuff
remarks on various topics related to genetics and gender. He
resigned as chancellor of Cold Springs Harbor in 2007 after
causing an uproar by suggestin