A Baltic German Chemist and Philosopher, Friedrich Wilhelm Ostwald passed away on 4th April 1932. He was instrumental in establishing physical chemistry as an acknowledged branch of chemistry. In 1909, he received the Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking work on catalysis, chemical equilibria, and reaction velocities.

Born of German parents in Riga, Latvia on 2 September in 1853, Wilhelm Ostwald received his early education at the city’s Realgymnasium. After receiving his doctorate in 1878, Ostwald became a professor of Chemistry at Riga, Latvia in 1881. The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1909 was awarded to Wilhelm Ostwald "in recognition of his work on catalysis and for his investigations into the fundamental principles governing chemical equilibria and rates of reaction."

In 1932, he passed away after a short illness. Many countries honored him by issuing commemorative postage stamps. Depicted here is 1 East Caribbean Dollar stamp Antigua and Barbuda in 1995.

Image Source: colnect.com