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Dr. Abdus Salam, Pakistan’s first Nobel Prize winner in Physics, was born in the city of Jhang, located in the Punjab province of British India (now Pakistan), on January 29, 1926. Jhang was a small city at the time, but it gave birth to one of the most brilliant scientific minds in the Muslim world.

Important facts about Dr. Abdus Salam life:

• Birthplace: Jhang, Punjab (now in Pakistan)


• Date of Birth: 29 January 1926


• Nobel Prize: Awarded in 1979 for contributions to theoretical physics, specifically electroweak unification


• First Pakistani Nobel Laureate: Yes

Dr. Salam showed exceptional talent from a young age. He scored the highest marks ever recorded in the Matriculation Examination of the University of Punjab at the time. After studying at Government College Lahore and then Cambridge University in the UK, he began a groundbreaking career in physics. His most significant achievement was his role in formulating the electroweak theory, for which he shared the 1979 Nobel Prize with Sheldon Glashow and Steven Weinberg.

Contributions and legacy:

• Scientific work: Electroweak unification in particle physics


• Institutions: Founded the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy


• Service to Pakistan: Played a key role in establishing major research institutions in the country, including PINSTECH and SUPARCO


• Date of death: 21 November 1996, Oxford, United Kingdom


• Burial: Rabwah (Chenab Nagar), Pakistan

Dr. Abdus Salam remains a symbol of intellectual excellence for Pakistan and the broader Muslim world. His story is a powerful reminder that even those from modest beginnings can rise to global acclaim through dedication, education, and hard work.