The Raman effect

"I propose this evening to speak to you on a new kind of radiation or light emission from atoms and molecules." With these prophetic words, Professor C. V. Raman of Calcutta University began his lecture to the South Indian Science Association in Bangalore on March 16, 1928. Raman proceeded to describe a discovery that resulted from a deceptively simple experiment. It was conducted far from the great centers of scientific research in the Western world and used inexpensive equipment. Although one of the initial experiments required only a mercury lamp, a flask of benzene, and a direct vision pocket spectroscope, the results would capture the attention of scientists around the world and bring many accolades, including the Nobel Prize, to their discoverer. The American Chemical Society and the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science designated the discovery of the Raman Effect as an International Historic Chemical Landmark in Calcutta, India, on December 15, 1998.