OncoLink, the first cancer information website, was formed at Penn Medicine
In Mar. 1994, Penn Medicine’s Dr. Joel Goldwein established OncoLink, the first cancer information site on the Internet,…
The FDA approved use of a new haemophilus b conjugate vaccine for infants and children
On Mar. 30, 1993, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new Haemophilus b conjugate vaccine,…
Diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine licensed for use
On Aug. 21, 1992, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved licensure of a second DTaP product, prepared…
Stormie Jones, the world’s first recipient of a successful simultaneous heart and liver organ transplant, died at Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital
On Nov. 11, 1990, Stormie Jones, the world’s first recipient of a successful simultaneous heart and liver organ…
The University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute received NCI Comprehensive designation
In 1990, the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute received National Cancer Institute (NCI) Comprehensive designation. The University of…
University of Washington scientists created first “transgenic mouse”
In 1982, Richard D. Palmiter at the University of Washington scientists created first “transgenic mouse” in collaboration with…
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Washington injected purified DNA into a single-cell mouse embryo
In 1981, Frank Ruddle from Yale University, Frank Costantini and Elizabeth Lacy from Oxford, and Ralph L. Brinster…
Disease | Medicine | Neurology | Therapeutics
Dr. Alexa Canady became the first African American woman in the U.S. to become a neurosurgeon
In 1981, Dr. Alexa Canady became the first African American woman in the U.S. to become a neurosurgeon,…
The last cases of wild type 1 poliovirus occurred in the U.S.
On Jul. 27, 1979, the last cases of wild type 1 poliovirus occurred in the U.S. among unvaccinated…
The Three Mile Island nuclear emergency plan was launched
Om Mar. 28, 1979,the Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) reactor, near Middletown, Pa., partially melted down resulting…
CDC | Diagnostics | Disease | Environmental | EPA | Life Science History | Oncology | Radiology | Therapeutics
The CDC investigated health effects related to the Three-Mile Island nuclear accident
On Mar. 28, 1979, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) investigated health effects related to…
The University of Pennsylvania’s Institute on Aging was created
In 1979, the University of Pennsylvania’s Institute on Aging (IOA) was created to improve the health of the…
The CDC held its first international conference on Legionnaires’ disease
In 1978, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) held its first international conference on Legionnaires’…
The first pneumococcal vaccine was licensed
On Nov. 21, 1977, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licensed the first pneumococcal vaccine containing 14…
The CDC isolated Legionella pneumophila, which caused Legionnaires’ disease in Philadelphia
In 1977, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) isolated Legionella pneumophila, which caused a deadly…
Baruch Samuel Blumberg was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine
In 1976, Baruch Samuel Blumberg from the Institute for Cancer Research in Philadelphia was awarded the Nobel Prize…
Penn Medicine’s Cancer Center (Abramson Cancer Center) was founded
In 1973, Penn Medicine’s Cancer Center was formally established by a dedicated group of cancer specialists committed to…
PA Assn for Retarded Children v Commonwealth of PA established right of developmentally disabled children to free public education
In 1972, the Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Mills v. Board of Education…
The Wistar Institute was designated a National Cancer Institute Cancer Center
In 1972, The Wistar Institute was designated the first National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Center in basic research…
Christian Boehmer Anfinsen was awarded Nobel Prize in Chemistry
In 1972, Christian Boehmer Anfinsen (M.S., University of Pennsylvania, 1939) shared the 1972 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for…
Gerald Maurice Edelman was awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine
In 1972, Gerald Maurice Edelman (M.D., University of Pennsylvania, 1954) was was awarded the 1972 Nobel Prize for…
The CDC investigated a new highly infectious disease identified as Legionnaire’s disease
In 1968, The first identified cases of Pontiac fever occurred in Pontiac, Michigan, among people who worked at…
The University of Pennsylvania Institute for Environmental Medicine was established
In 1968, the University of Pennsylvania Institute for Environmental Medicine was established in recognition of the increasing need…
The Priestley Medal was awarded to Ralph Connor
In 1967, the American Chemical Society awarded the Priestley Medal to Ralph Connor “to recognize distinguished services to…
Haldan Keffer Hartline was awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine
In 1967, H. Keffer Hartline, born in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania and graduate of Layfayette College in Easton, PA (B.Sc….
The Animal Welfare Act was passed by the U.S. Congress, the first law that protected research animals
On Aug. 24, 1966, the U.S. Congress passed legislation that became known as the Animal Welfare Act (P.L….
The Priestley Medal was awarded to Joel H. Hildebrand
In 1962, the American Chemical Society awarded the Priestley Medal Joel H. Hildebrand “to recognize distinguished services to…
Biology | Diagnostics | Disease | Life Science History | Medicine | Non-Profit Research | Polio | Therapeutics | Vaccine
The Salk Institute was envisioned
In 1959, the Salk Institute was initially envisioned by Jonas Salk, M.D., the developer of the polio vaccine,…
Dr. Jonas Salk received gold medal from President Dwight Eisenhower, designating him “a benefactor of mankind”
On Jan. 27, 1956, Dr. Jonas Salk, developer of the Polio vaccine released in 1955, received a special…
Salk polio vaccine was announced
On Apr. 12, 1955, the polio vaccine developed by Dr. Jonas Salk at the University of Pittsburgh was…