Ernst August Friedrich Ruska was a German physicist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1986 for his work in electron optics, including the design of the first electron microscope. The Nobel Prize in Physics 1986, announced October 15, 1986. Ernst Ruska (1/2), “for his fundamental work in electron optics, and for the design of the first electron microscope”. Gerd Binnig (1/4), “for their design of the scanning tunneling microscope”. Heinrich Rohrer (1/4), “for their design of the scanning tunneling microscope”. Ernst Ruska: born 1906, Heidelberg, Germany. Gerd Binnig: born 1947, Frankfurt-on-the-Main, West Germany (now Germany). Heinrich Rohrer: born 1933, Buchs, Switzerland. Wiki link Wiki link Wiki link Data: the Nobel Foundation (CC0).