Mayo research led to the development of an anti-blackout suit worn by American fliers in World War II
In 1942, the U.S. government with the military secretly tasked a small group of Mayo Clinic physicians and…
The Hormel Institute was founded
In 1942, The Hormel Institute was founded by Jay C. Hormel in Austin to research and find a…
Agriculture | Biology | Life Science History | Medicine | Nanotechnology | Non-Profit Research | Therapeutics | Veterinary
The Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College’s first PhD was awarded
In 1942, the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College’s first Ph.D. was awarded to Nathan Sugarman in chemistry. In…
Dr. William Hutchinson joined the Swedish Tumor Institute
In 1942, Dr. William Hutchinson began a 47 year career in Seattle, Washington when he joined the Swedish…
Red Cross begins National Blood Donor Service to collect blood for the U.S. military
On Feb. 4, 1941, the Red Cross began a National Blood Donor Service to collect blood for the…
The Priestley Medal awarded to Thomas Midgley
In 1941, the Priestley Medal was awarded to Thomas Midgley by the American Chemical Society “to recognize distinguished…
Biology | Diagnostics | Disease | Life Science History | Medicine | Oncology | Radiology | Therapeutics
Texas State Cancer Hospital (MD Anderson) was created by Texas Legislature
In 1941, Texas State Cancer Hospital, now known as the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, was…
The new Medical College of Virginia Hospital (MCV West Hospital) opened to national acclaim
In 1941, the Medical College of Virginia Hospital (MCV West Hospital) opened to national acclaim. The largest donation…
Karl Habel produced an improved, killed rabies vaccine that eliminated foreign brain tissue caused paralysis
On Sept. 6, 1940, Karl Habel produced an improved, killed rabies vaccine that eliminated foreign brain tissue that…
Lansing strain of poliomyelitis adapted for polio studies
On Jun. 14, 1940, Charles Armstrong and V. H. Haas published Immunity to the Lansing Strain of Poliomyelitis…
Biology | Diagnostics | Disease | Life Science History | NIH | Oncology | Rare Disease | Therapeutics
The U.S. government established a national blood collection program
In 1940, the U.S. government established a national blood collection program. That same year the National Research Council…
Edwin Cohn developed cold ethanol fractionation
In 1940, Edwin Cohn, a professor of biological chemistry at Harvard Medical School, developed cold ethanol fractionation, the…
Charles R Drew began blood processing program for English war victims: Plasma for Britain
In 1940, Charles R. Drew, MD, an African American surgeon and Howard University researcher, began an early blood…
American Oswald Avery isolated pure DNA for the first time, what he called the transforming factor
In 1940, American Oswald Avery precipitates a pure sample of what he calls the transforming factor; he has…
Wendell Johnson at the University of Iowa pioneered fields of speech pathology and audiology
In 1940, Wendell Johnson at the University of Iowa pioneers the fields of speech pathology and audiology. Throughout…
Scientists discovered how to purify and preserve penicillin
In 1940, Howard Florey, Ernst Chain and others in England discover how to purify and preserve penicillin. The…
The first metallic hip replacement surgery was performed
On Sept. 28, 1940, Dr. Austin T. Moore, an American surgeon at Johns Hopkins hospital, and Harold Ray…
The McArdle Laboratory was founded in Madison
In 1940, the McArdle Memorial Laboratory was founded in Madison. McArdle Lab was one of the first basic…
Baseball legend Lou Gehrig delivered the famous farewell speech bidding to fans
On Jul. 4, 1939, baseball legend Lou Gehrig delivered the famous speech bidding farewell to the ballpark and…
Embryologist E.E. Just published The Biology of the Cell Surface
In 1939, embryologist E.E. Just published The Biology of the Cell Surface, and pioneered ideas about the importance…
Agriculture | Biology | Diagnostics | Infectious Disease | Life Science History | NIH | Therapeutics | Vaccine
Herald R. Cox discovered that rickettsiae could be cultivated successfully in the yolk-sacs of chick embryos
On Dec. 23, 1938, Herald R. Cox published: Use of Yolk Sac of Developing Chick Embryo as Medium…
Albert Hofmann synthesized lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)
On Nov. 16, 1938, Albert Hofmann at Sandoz synthesized lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). LSD-25, as originally known when…
The British Columbia Cancer Institute opened in Vancouver
On Nov. 5, 1938, the British Columbia Cancer Institute, BC Cancer’s first cancer treatment centre officially opened in…
Biology | FDA | Life Science History | Medicine | NIH | Pharmaceutical | Therapeutics | U.S. Congress
U.S. Congress passed the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
On Jun. 25, 1938, the U.S. Congress passed the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with new provisions….
Toxoplasma gondii was identified in humans
On May 23, 1938, Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondi) was identified in humans gondii was identified in an infant…
President Roosevelt founded the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis and the March of Dimes to fight polio
On Jan. 3, 1938, President Roosevelt founded the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (NFIP) known today as the…
The National Advisory Cancer Council recommended approval of first awards for fellowships in cancer research
In 1938, the National Advisory Cancer Council, created by the National Cancer Institute Act of Aug. 5, 1937,…
Gordon E. Davis and Herald R. Cox identified a new rickettsial disease, which they called Nine Mile Fever
In 1938, Gordon E. Davis and Herald R. Cox identified a new rickettsial disease, which they called Nine…
John Bozicevich developed immunological methods for the diagnosis of helminth parasitic infections
In 1938, John Bozicevich developed immunological methods for the diagnosis of helminth parasitic infections. Helminthiasis, also known as…
Murray J. Shear coined the term “cocarcinogen”
In 1938, Murray J. Shear from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) reported that a basic fraction of creosote…