Uziel Gal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Uziel Gal
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Gal in 1953
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| Born |
Gotthard Glas
December 15, 1923 |
| Died | September 7, 2002 (aged 78) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
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| Nationality | Israeli, German |
| Occupation | Weapon designer, IDF Colonel |
| Known for | Designing the Uzi submachine gun |
Uziel "Uzi" Gal was a brilliant inventor from Israel. He was born in Germany in 1923. Uzi Gal is famous for creating the Uzi submachine gun. This special weapon became well-known around the world. He passed away in 2002.
The Life of Uziel Gal
Uziel Gal was born as Gotthard Glas in Weimar, Germany. This was in 1923. When the Nazis came to power in 1933, his family moved. First, they went to the United Kingdom. Later, in 1936, they moved to Kibbutz Yagur in what was then Mandatory Palestine. There, he changed his name to Uziel Gal.
In 1943, Uziel faced a problem. He was found with a gun without permission. He was sent to prison for a short time. But he was released early in 1946.
Creating the Uzi
Uziel Gal started designing the Uzi submachine gun soon after Israel became a country. This was after the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. In 1951, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officially chose his design. They named it the Uzi, after him! Uziel did not want the weapon named after himself. But his request was not accepted.
In 1955, he received a special award called the Tzalash haRamatkal. Then, in 1958, Uziel Gal was the first person ever to get the Israel Security Award. The Prime Minister of Israel, David Ben-Gurion, gave him this award. It was for his amazing work on the Uzi.
Life in the United States
Uziel Gal retired from the IDF in 1975. The next year, he moved to the United States. He chose to live in Philadelphia. This was so his daughter, Tamar, could get special medical care there. She had a serious brain injury.
In the early 1980s, Uziel helped create another submachine gun. This one was called the Ruger MP9. He also helped actors like Linda Hamilton and Robert Patrick. He trained them to use automatic weapons for their movie roles.
Uziel Gal kept working as a firearms designer in the United States. He continued until he passed away in 2002 after an illness. His body was then flown back to Yagur for burial.
