Critical Dates

February 5, 1896

Also on this day, the New York Times published an article that reported that Nature had published an English translation of Roentgen’s 12/28/1895 article in the Proceedings of the Wurzburg Physico-Medical Society. The Times article included the translation, which had been made by Arthur Stanton.

November 5, 1895

Wilhelm Roentgen discovered x-rays.

December 28, 1895

Roentgen first published his findings in the Proceedings of the Wurzburg Physico-Medical Society.

January 1896

At some point during this month, Roentgen gave a public presentation on x-rays.

January 22, 1896

The Hartford Courant published its first article on the discovery of x-rays. In 1904, Green told the Courant that he had read about the discovery of x-rays in a cable dispatch in the newspaper, but that the dispatch “did not give any particulars about how the work was done.” This article in the Courant was a cable dispatch from a London newspaper via the New York Sun, and it was about x-rays being used by a camera club.

January 26, 1896

Probable earliest date on which Green generated x-rays. According to the 1904 interview, Green went to work on x-rays immediately, and he worked day and night for four days.

February 1, 1896

Probable latest date by which Green began working on x-rays. Based on the July 1896 account of Green’s effort to x-ray Theodore Studley’s leg, although this article times Green’s research to the discovery, not the announcement of the discovery.

February 1896

Public demonstrations of x-rays began at the Jarvis Physics Laboratory at Trinity College. The experiments were conducted by William L. Robb and Arthur J. Wolff, and they ran through April.

February 4, 1896

The New York Times published an article based on an article previously published in l’Illustration, on experimental photographs made with x-rays. This article included details on how the photographs were taken.

February 5, 1896

Possible latest date on which Green began his research on x-rays. Based on Green’s obituary in the American Journal of Roentgenology, which had Green starting his research within two weeks of the announcement of the discovery of x-rays.

February 8, 1896

Henry Green applied for a patent on improvements in advertising devices.

April 10, 1896

William L. Robb gives a lecture on “Roentgen photography” to the Friday Night Club at Asylum Hill Congregational Church. This lecture was apparently a benefit for foreign missions, and according to the Courant it was well attended.
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May 1, 1896

Henry Green applied for a permit to build a laboratory behind his house.
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July 17, 1896

Green used x-rays in an attempt to find a bullet in Theodore Studley’s leg. This is the earliest reference I’ve found that directly connects Henry Green to x-rays.
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August 1896

Green probably used an x-ray to help set Robert Magonigal’s broken leg.

September 30, 1896

Green filed an application for a patent on a coin-operated x-ray device. He would receive the patent for this device on July 12, 1898.
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November 3, 1896

The Hartford Courant reported that Hartford Hospital had added an x-ray machine to the equipment in its surgical department. The machine had been manufactured by Green & Bauer. From this point forward, Green’s commercial interests shifted entirely to x-rays.
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November 27, 1896

The Courant interviewed Henry Green about Thomas Edison’s theory on x-rays as a treatment for blindness.
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November 28, 1896

Henry Green took two x-rays of Arthur Way’s leg.
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