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Birth of Eugenics
In 1883, Francis Galton coined the term eugenics (meaning "well-born"). The exact date of the coinage is not known. -
First Eugenic Sterilization
Harry Sharp performed the first eugenic-based sterilization at the Jeffersonville Reformatory in Indiana. -
Eugenics Taken Seriously
Charles Davenport founded the Eugenics Record Office using funds donated by Mrs. E.H. Harriman. The exact date of the founding of the Eugenics Record Office is not known. -
The War on "Feeblemindedness" Begins in Earnest
Henry Goddard published his most influential work The Kallikak Family: A Study in the Heredity of Feeble-Mindedness and spurred the fight against the rising tide of "feebleminded" persons to new heights. The exact date of the publication is not known. -
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The Fitter Families
The Fitter Families contests held at state fairs throughout the 1920's constructed extensive pedigrees of competing families and the families with the most desirable hereditary traits were awarded the winners. The exact dates of the start and end of the competitions are not known. -
First Eugenic-Based Law Passed
The Immigration Restriction Act, restricting the immigration of southern and eastern Europeans, was enacted as a result of a "dysgenic" presentation to Congress by Harry Laughlin, secretary of the Eugenics Record Office. -
Founding of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute of Anthropology, Human Genetics, and Eugenics in Berlin
The Rockfeller Foundation provided funding for the founding of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute of Anthropology, Human Genetics, and Eugenics in Berlin. The exact date of the founding is not known. -
Buck vs. Bell Outcome
The now-famous Supreme Court case Buck vs. Bell concluded with the sterilization of Carrie Buck. The exact date of her sterilization is not known. -
Memo to Mussolini
In 1929 the International Eugenics Congress drafted a memo to Mussolini encouraging him to pursue eugenics with "full speed." The exact date of the drafting of the memo is not known. -
Hitler Comes to Power
When Adolf Hitler came to power, he implemented a nation-wide program of sterilization of the "feeble-minded" and mentally retarded. The exact date of the enactment of the program is not known. -
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The Nazi Sterilization Program
A mere year after the birth of the program, over 50,000 were sterilized. The exact date of the start of the program and the date of this statistic is not known. -
American Negative Eugenics Discredited
A panel concluded that the work of the Eugenics Record Office had no scientific merit. The exact date of the panel's conclusion is not known. -
Harry Laughlin Awarded Honorary Degree
Harry Laughlin was recognized in Germany for his work on "race hygiene" with an honorary degree from the University of Heidelberg. The exact date of the awarding is not known. -
Eugenics Record Office Closes
The Eugenics Record Office is shut down due to the lack of scientific merit for eugenics. The exact date of the closure is not known. -
The Sterilization Program Nearly Stopped
In the same year that Hitler attacked Poland, Nazi sterilization ground almost to a halt as a result of most people under the shadow of the program were already sterilized. The exact date of the slowing of the program is not known. -
First Unofficial Gas Chamber Constructed
This shower room was fitted with carbon monoxide vents to kill patients with incurable mental disorders. The exact day of the completion of the euthanasia center is not known. -
Euthanasia of Psychiatric Patients Ceases
Due to outspoken Clemens August Graf von Galen, the Nazis stopped their euthanasia program. The exact day of the cancellation is not known. -
First Official Gas Chamber Constructed
The first official gas chamber was built in the newly conquered Poland, in which hydrogen cyanide replaced the standard carbon monoxide. The exact day of the construction is not known. -
A Successor to Nazi Eugenics
Otmar Freiherr von Verschuer becomes Director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute of Anthropology, Human Heredity, and Eugenics. The exact day of his appointment is not known. -
Otmar Becomes a Fugitive
Otmar von Verschuer fled berlin and sent his files off to various locations. Two truckloads of records on his inhumane twin studies were never recovered. The exact day of his fleeing is not known. -
Josef Mengele Evades Capture
Josef Mengele, who was the top medical researcher in the twin studies under Otmar, fled to South America. The exact day of his fleeing is not known. -
Mengele's Suspected Remains Recovered
The West German police followed evidence to a grave in Embu. The remains were exhumed and Mengele's son Rolf claimed the bones were his father's. The exact date of the exhumation is not known. -
DNA Test Confirms Evidence
The supposed remains of Josef Mengele were confirmed by DNA testing; he had evaded capture for 34 years. The exact date of the confirmation is not known.
