Chaim Weizmann

<p>Chaim Azriel Weizmann was born on November 27, 1874, in Motal, Russian Empire (now Belarus). He studied chemistry in Germany and Switzerland, earning his doctorate with honors from the University of Fribourg in 1899 before becoming senior lecturer in biochemistry at the University of Manchester in 1904.</p><p>In 1915, Weizmann achieved a historic scientific breakthrough by isolating the bacterium <em>Clostridium acetobutylicum</em>, developing the industrial ABE (acetone-butanol-ethanol) fermentation process. This made the mass production of synthetic acetone possible, resolving a critical British cordite munitions shortage during World War I and earning him the deep gratitude of British leaders including Winston Churchill, David Lloyd George, and Arthur Balfour.</p><p>Utilizing his diplomatic standing, Weizmann was instrumental in securing the <strong>Balfour Declaration</strong> of November 1917. He served as President of the World Zionist Organization and co-founded the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1925) and the Daniel Sieff Research Institute in 1934, later renamed the <strong>Weizmann Institute of Science</strong>. In February 1949, Weizmann was elected the first President of the newly established State of Israel, serving until his passing on November 9, 1952.</p>