In 1896, Henri Becquerel left uranium salts in a drawer wrapped with photographic plates, which opened the door to nuclear science

An accidental discovery in 1896 by Henri Becquerel, involving fogged photographic plates exposed to uranium salts, unveiled the phenomenon of radioactivity. This unexpected finding challenged the belief in stable atoms, revealing their inherent ability to emit energy. The breakthrough paved the way for nuclear physics and has since impacted fields from medicine to power generation.