Seventy years of combination (Raman) scattering

The discovery of the combination scattering of light (the Raman effect) is discussed briefly in historical perspective. Landsberg and Mandel'shtam in Moscow observed spectral lines of the new phenomenon for the first time in crystals on February 21, 1928, and published their results on July 13, 1928, while Raman and Krishnan, in Calcutta, observed similar lines in a number of liquids on February 28, 1928, and published their results on April 21, 1928. Landsberg and Mandel'shtam gave the right interpretation of the new phenomenon in their first publication. The reason for the delay of this publication is explained. A brief note is given on the fate of the discovery and of the people who made it. Raman is the only one who was awarded the Nobel Prize for physics in 1930. The list of the 1930 Nobel Prize nominees in physics is presented. Developments in the field of combination scattering are discussed and the role of the phenomenon in applied research and science illustrated.