Picture of the hand of the anatomist Albert von Kölliker taken on the occasion of the first public lecture on January 23, 1896.

A SENSATIONAL DISCOVERY.
In Würzburg, Röntgen begins his research on cathode rays and their effects. During one of his experiments in a darkened room his eyes fall on brightly fluorescent crystals that happen to lie next to the cathode ray tube. He attributes this phenomenon to a kind of rays so far unknown, which he calls, X-rays. Only after tireless further investigations does he publish his discovery on the 28th of December. This will soon
become a sensation.
Following an invitation by the Physical-Medical Society of Würzburg,
Röntgen gives his only public talk on this topic on the 23rd of January 1896. During the lecture, in front of the audience, he performs an X-ray of the hand of the anatomist Albert von Kölliker, who then suggests to rename the x-rays “Röntgen”-rays. The audience agrees in a standing ovation.