Science’s Most Famous Moustaches

November marks the start of colder days, heavier coats and more moustaches. While moustaches may not serve much of a scientific purpose, they take on a meaningful role each year during Movember.

Movember is a campaign dedicated to raising awareness of men’s health issues such as testicular cancer, prostate cancer and mental health. You can learn more about the organisation and how to get involved on the Movember website.

To mark the end of Movember, we’ve highlighted nine legendary scientists who not only changed the world but sported a great moustache while doing it.

Biology

Kiyoshi Shiga

Kiyoshi Shiga was a Japanese physician and bacteriologist best known for discovering Shigella dysenteriae, the bacteria responsible for bacillary dysentery. He also worked with Paul Ehrlich to develop trypan red — one of the first chemical treatments that could target disease-causing microbes without severely harming the patient. In recognition of his lifelong contributions, he was awarded Japan’s prestigious Order of Culture medal in 1944.

George Washington Craver

George Washington Carver was an American agricultural scientist and inventor who revolutionised farming in the post-Civil War South. Born into slavery, he developed innovative uses for peanuts, sweet potatoes, and soybeans, including the creation of oils and paper, to improve both farming practices and economic opportunities for Black farmers. Carver spent most of his career teaching and carrying out research at the Tuskegee Institute, where he became one of the most influential agricultural chemists of his era.

Camillo Golgi

Italian pathologist Camillo Golgi left his mark on biology with the development of the Golgi staining technique, a process that allowed scientists to visualise the intricate structures of the nervous system. He is also responsible for discovering the Golgi apparatus, a cellular structure that modifies and transports proteins and lipids. In 1906, Golgi shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Santiago Ramón y Cajal for their pioneering work on the nervous system.

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Chemistry

Francis William Aston

Francis William Aston was a British chemist and physicist who won the 1922 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his groundbreaking work using the mass spectrometer. With this instrument, he identified numerous isotopes (atoms of the same element with different masses) and formulated the “whole number rule.” These discoveries provided critical insights into atomic structure and shaped research across all scientific disciplines.

Fritz Haber

German chemist Fritz Haber transformed global agriculture with the Haber-Bosch process, a method of synthesising ammonia that enabled large-scale fertiliser production. This breakthrough increased food yields worldwide and earned him the 1918 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for nitrogen fixation. His legacy remains one of science’s most impactful contributions to increasing food production.

Arthur Harden

Sir Arthur Harden was an English biochemist who studied yeast, helping to uncover the biochemical steps behind fermentation. Harden’s studies of bacterial enzymes and metabolic pathways laid the foundation for modern biochemistry and advanced our understanding of how living organisms convert nutrients into energy.

Physics

Neil deGrasse Tyson

Neil deGrasse Tyson is an American astrophysicist, author, and science communicator. As director of New York’s Hayden Planetarium, he oversaw its 2000 renovation, where Pluto was reclassified as part of the Kuiper Belt. In recent years, he has brought science to a global audience through podcasts, social media, and the revival of the TV show Cosmos: Possible Worlds, cementing his place as one of the most recognisable voices in modern science.

Nikola Tesla

Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor and engineer who pioneered the development of alternating-current (AC) electricity. He patented the rotating magnetic field, designed AC motors, and introduced the three-phase system of power transmission, which is still the basis of modern electricity grids. Tesla’s visionary ideas extended far beyond his time, influencing technologies from radio to wireless energy.

Albert Einstein

Arguably the most iconic moustache in science belongs to Albert Einstein. The German-born physicist revolutionised physics with his theories of special and general relativity, earning him the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics for his explanation of the photoelectric effect. Beyond this, Einstein made significant contributions to quantum theory, statistical mechanics, and cosmology.

From bacteria to black holes, these scientists have transformed our understanding of the world, all while rocking some seriously stylish moustaches.

Of course, almost every scientific achievement stems from the hard work of diverse teams, not just the scientists featured here. We hope you are able to take inspiration from their curiosity, dedication and flair, as well as their facial hair!

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