Learn about the history of science by reading about the significant scientific events that took place on this day in history.
2005 - Maurice Ralph Hilleman died.
Hilleman was an American biologist who developed more vaccines than any other single scientist. Eight of the fourteen current routine vaccinations were developed by him: measles, mumps, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, chickenpox, meningitis, pneumonia and Haemophilus influenzae bacteria. He has been credited as the scientist who has saved the most lives in the 20th century.1970 - Apollo 13 Launched.
NASA
NASA launched the Apollo 13 mission to become the third moon landing, but an explosion in one of the oxygen tanks crippled the electrical power supply. Astronauts James Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise and ground control managed to patch the systems sufficiently to abort the mission and return to Earth safely. The task was difficult enough that the mission is considered a 'successful failure'.
1899 - Percy Lavon Julian was born.
Julian was an American chemist who was a pioneer in pharmacological chemical synthesis. He held over 130 chemical patents including the industrial scale synthesis of progesterone, testosterone, stigmasterol and sitosterol. He was the first to synthesize the anti-glaucoma drug physostigmine.He was the first African American to receive a doctoral degree in chemistry and the first chemist to be inducted into the National Academy of Sciences.
