Learn about the history of science by reading about the significant scientific events that took place on this day in history.
1902 - André Michel Lwoff was born.
Lwoff was a French microbiologist who was awarded a third of the 1965 Nobel Prize in Medicine for the discovery that lysogenic bacteria (bacteria that is infected by viruses) remain lysogenic in future generations. This showed the bacteriophage genetically insert themselves into the bacteria and reproducing itself. He also found a non-infecting bacteriophage that he called prophage that inhibited virus reproduction. The prophage was later found to become active when exposed to ultraviolet light which gave evidence to cancerous tumors could be caused by mutations of an inactive or dormant virus.1947 - Howard Robert Horvitz was born.
Horvitz is an American biologist who was awarded one third of the 2002 Nobel Prize in Medicine for discoveries of how genes regulate organ development and cell death. His investigations centered on the use of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and the identification of which genes control programmed cell death.1873 - Nevil Vincent Sidgwick was born.
Sidgwick was an English chemist who contributed to the valence theory of chemical bonding. He explained valence's role in covalent bonding in his book 'The Electronic Theory of Valence'1794 - Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier died.
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Lavoisier was a French chemist who made many major contributions to separating chemistry from alchemy. He stated the first conservation of mass law in chemical reactions and recognized oxygen and hydrogen as elements and demonstrated there was no elemental 'phlogiston' present in materials that burn. He was also the driving force in developing the metric system as a standard form of measurement.
He was tried as a traitor by the new French government after the Revolution during the 'Reign of Terror' and guillotined. He was formally exonerated less than two years later.
He was tried as a traitor by the new French government after the Revolution during the 'Reign of Terror' and guillotined. He was formally exonerated less than two years later.
