Edward Teller

Edward Teller Historical Figure Nationality: United States (Hungary) Year of Birth: 1908 Year of Death: 2003 Cause of Death: Natural Causes Religion: Judaism Occupation: Scientist Fictional Appearances: Worldwar POD: May 30, 1942 Appearance(s): Tilting the Balance Type of Appearance: Contemporary references "Joe Steele" POD: 1878 Relevant POD: July, 1932 Type of Appearance: Direct

Edward Teller (born Teller Ede, 1908-2003) was a Hungarian-born American nuclear physicist, and an early participant in the Manhattan Project. Of Jewish descent, Teller emigrated to the United States in the 1930s to escape the spread of Nazism in Europe. Unlike certain of his other colleagues, Teller remained strong advocate of the development of nuclear technology for military purposes for the remainder of his life. He is known as the "father of the hydrogen bomb".

Edward Teller in Worldwar

Sam Yeager couldn't help but contrast men like Edward Teller and his colleagues, generally "dumpy foreigners with funny accents," with the "near-supermen" scientists found in the science fiction he read.

Edward Teller in "Joe Steele"

Unfortunately, Edward Teller's decision to move to the United States nearly proved his undoing after Joe Steele became President. When Steele learned of the theoretical possiblity of the atomic bomb in 1946, and that the weapon had been willfully kept from him by Albert Einstein, Steele rounded up several Jewish physicists, accused them of being a part of a "Professors' Plot", and executed them. Teller managed to convince Steele to spare him by promising a bomb in three years. Steele agreed.

Teller was able to produce the bomb in the agreed upon time. The United States used the bomb on Sapporo, North Japan during the Japanese War.