The Discovery of Penicillin

28th September 1928

On this day, the Scottish physician and microbiologist, Alexander Fleming, discovered the world’s first broadly effective antibiotic substance, which he later named penicillin. His discovery has been described as the “single greatest victory ever achieved over disease” and led to him sharing the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1945 with Howard Florey and Ernst Chain. Earlier, in 1944, he received a knighthood for his scientific achievements and in 1999 he was named in Time magazine’s list of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th century. In his memoirs he says, “When I woke up just after dawn on September 28, 1928, I certainly didn’t plan to revolutionise all medicine by discovering the world’s first antibiotic, or bacteria killer. But I suppose that was exactly what I did.”

Puoi trovare altre brevi notizie storiche QUI


Your comments are always very welcome.


Madame Curie Discovers Radium

21st December 1898

On this day Marie Curie and her husband Pierre discovered radium. Marie Curie was a pioneering physicist and chemist who made groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of radioactivity, a term she actually coined. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, and remains the only person to have won Nobel Prizes in two different scientific fields: Physics and Chemistry. In addition to her scientific achievements, Curie was deeply committed to the practical application of her research. During World War I, she established mobile radiography units, known as “Little Curies”, to provide X-ray services to field hospitals, significantly improving medical care for wounded soldiers.

Puoi trovare altre brevi notizie storiche QUI


Your comments are always very welcome.