Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman in the U.S. with a medical degree
On Jan. 3, 1849, Elizabeth Blackwell received her M.D. degree from the Medical Institution of Geneva, N.Y., and…
Charles Pfizer & Company was founded
In 1849, cousins Charles Pfizer and Charles Erhardt founded Charles Pfizer & Company, a fine-chemicals business, in the…
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The American Association for the Advancement of Science was founded
On Sept. 20, 1848, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) was founded which marked the…
Nelson Dewey, Wisconsin’s first governor, signed the act that formally created the University of Wisconsin-Madison
On Jul. 26, 1848, Nelson Dewey, Wisconsin’s first governor, signed the act that formally created the University of…
The Drug Importation Act was passed by Congress
On Jun. 26, 1848, the Drug Importation Act was passed by Congress. The act required imported drugs to…
The New England Female Medical College was founded
In 1848, the New England Female Medical College was founded, becoming the first institution in the U.S. to…
The State University of Iowa (University of Iowa) was founded
On Feb 25, 1847, the State University of Iowa, now known as the University of Iowa, was founded…
The Pontifical Academy of Science was founded
In 1847, the precursor to the actual Pontifical Academy of Sciences was the “Linceorum Academia,” which was founded…
The Yale College Graduate School of Arts and Sciences was founded
In 1847, the Yale College Graduate School of Arts and Sciences was founded as the ‘Department of Philosophy…
James Moultrie, Jr, MD helped found the American Medical Association
In 1847, James Moultrie, Jr., M.D. (Dean, School of Medicine of the Medical College of the State of…
John Collins Warren provided the first public demonstration of anesthesia in surgery
On Oct. 16, 1846, Harvard Medical School’s first dean, Dr. John Collins Warren, provided the first public demonstration…
Peter Panum described the incubation period of measles and lifelong immunity after recovery from the disease
In 1846, Peter Panum described the highly contagious nature, the 14-day incubation period, and the induction of lifelong…
Ignaz Semmelweis discovered puerperal fever could be reduced with chlorine solution hand washing
In 1846, Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis, known as the ‘Savior of Mothers,’ discovered that cases of puerperal fever, also…
Lewis Caleb Beck’s “Adulteration of Various Substances Used in Medicine and the Arts” was published
In 1846, Lewis Caleb Beck’s published “Adulteration of Various Substances Used in Medicine and the Arts,” one of…
Late blight ravaged Ireland’s potato crop
In late 1845 and 1846, a summer blight ravaged Ireland’s potato crop. It is estimated that more than…
The first description of allergies was published
On Mar. 16, 1844, John Bostock, Jr., an English physician, published the first description of allergies in Medico-Chirurgical…
The Hampden-Sydney College medical department moved into its first permanent home, the Egyptian Building
In 1844, The Medical Department of Hampden-Sydney College moved into its first permanent home, the Egyptian Building.
Oliver Wendell Holmes identified the cause and prevention of puerperal fever
In 1843, Harvard Medical School dean and physician Oliver Wendall Holmes discovered the cause and prevention of childhood…
Ether used as surgical anesthetic for the first time
On Mar. 30, 1842, Dr. Crawford Long, an American physician and pharmacist in Jefferson, Georgia, used ether for…
Tornado struck Rochester and the Sisters of Saint Francis proposed building a hospital
In 1840, After a devastating tornado ripped through Rochester, Mother Alfred Moes and the Sisters of Saint Francis…
The British government passed the Vaccination Act of 1840
In 1840, the British government passed the Vaccination Act of 1840, an act that provided free vaccinations for…
German scientist Dr Jacob von Heine conducted the first systematic investigation of polio
In 1840, German scientist Dr Jacob von Heine conducted the first systematic investigation of polio and developed the…
Emil Mallinckrodt aquired land for first factory
In 1840, Emil Mallinckrodt acquired a land in the Bremen area of St. Louis, which became the site…
U.S. Congress puts $1,000 into the Congressional Seed Distribution Program
In 1839, the U.S. Congress puts $1,000 into the Congressional Seed Distribution Program, administered by the U.S. Patent…
The University of Missouri was founded
In 1839, the University of Missouri was founded after the Missouri legislature passed the Geyer Act, legislation that…
Two medical colleges merged into the Medical College of the State of South Carolina
In 1839, two medical colleges merged into the the Medical College of the State of South Carolina. In…
Emory College classes began
On Sept. 17, 1838, Emory College classes began for fifteen students. The College was founded in 1836 by…
The Medical Department of Hampden-Sydney College opened
In 1838, The Medical Department of Hampden-Sydney College opened in Hampden Sydney, Virginia. The first Dean of the…
The state territorial legislature passed a bill to establish a University of Wisconsin ‘at or near Madison, the seat of government’
In 1838, The state territorial legislature passed a bill to establish a University of Wisconsin ‘at or near…
Dr. James McCune Smith became the first African American to hold a medical degree
In 1837, Dr. James McCune Smith became the first African American to hold a medical degree. Smith, a…