Historical Note By 20amberelee 1934 Italian physicist Enrico Fermi believed that he had synthesized elements with atomic numbers beyond the limit recognized on the periodic table. Their measurements seemed to indicate that some nuclei had absorbed neutrons and then undergone beta decay. 1937 Radiochemist Otto Hahn was positive that he had chemical evidence of transuranes. 1939 Nuclear investigators collaborated to provide a stunning explanation for the mysterious results of uranium's forced transformation. 1939 Hahn and Meitner discovered that the uranium nuclei had been broken apart into elemental fragments, one of which was Ba. 1944 Hahn was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry. 1968 Meitner was finally recognized in her role in the clarifying process.