Medicine of the Modern Age by Matt D

Blood type discovery

Jan 1, 1900

Austrian scientist Karl Landsteiner discovered the different blood types of A, B, AB and O.

Lack of Vitamin D

Jan 1, 1920

Edward Mellanby discovers that lack of vitamin D in the diet causes rickets.

Invention of the Band-Aid

Jan 1, 1921

Earle Dickson, an American inventor, working as a cotton buyer for 'Johnson & Johnson' Invented the Band-Aid.

Insulin first used to treat diabetes.

Jan 12, 1922

Insulin first used to treat diabetes. On 11 January 1922, Leonard Thompson, a 14-year-old boy with diabetes, who lay dying at the Toronto General Hospital, was given the first injection of insulin.

First vaccine developed for whooping cough

Jan 1, 1926

First vaccine developed for whooping cough in 1926. It wasn't widely used until the 30's-40's.

First Blood Bank

Oct 16, 1937

Bernard Fantus opened the first hospital blood bank in the U,S in 1937, at Cook Country Hospital, Chicago.

Invention if the Cardio Pacemaker

Jan 1, 1950

John Hopps, a Canadian, invented the first cardiac pacemaker in 1950.

1952 - Cloning - Robert Briggs & Thomas King

Oct 19, 1952

1952 - Cloning - Robert Briggs & Thomas King

Dr. Joseph E. Murray performs the first kidney transplant

Dec 23, 1954

On 23 Dec 1954, he performed the first successful human kidney transplant, inserting one of Ronald Herrick's healthy kidneys into his identical twin brother, Richard Herrick, who had end-stage renal failure. The surgery made national news, and both brothers emerged from the hospital healthy.

Jonas Salk develops the first polio vaccine

Oct 17, 1955

Jonas Salk develops the first polio vaccine.

Hip Replacement - John Charnley

Oct 19, 1962

He pioneered the hip replacement operation, Which is now one of the most common operations both in the UK and elsewhere in the world.

Thomas Fogarty invented the balloon embolectomy catheter

Oct 17, 1963

Thomas Fogarty invented the balloon embolectomy catheter

Artificial Heart - Paul Winchell

Oct 19, 1963

Winchell, who had medical training, was also an inventor, becoming the first person to build and patent a mechanical artificial heart, implantable in the chest cavity

Thomas Starzl performs the first human liver transplant

Oct 19, 1963

Thomas E. Starzl (born March 11, 1926) is an American physician, researcher, and is an expert on organ transplants. He performed the first human liver transplants, and has often been referred to as "the father of modern transplantation."

James Hardy performs the first human lung transplant

Oct 19, 1963

Dr. James D. Hardy (May 14, 1918 - February 19, 2003) was an American surgeon, famous for the first human lung transplant and the first animal-to-human heart transplant.

First vaccine developed for measles.

Oct 17, 1964

First vaccine developed for measles.

First vaccine developed for mumps

Oct 17, 1967

First vaccine developed for mumps.

Dr. Christiaan Barnard performs the first human heart transplant

Dec 3, 1967

Groote Schuur Hospital was placed centre stage in the world's spotlight when Professor Christiaan Barnard performed the first human heart transplant on the third of December 1967. Sadly, Mr Louis Washkansky (pictured left) only lived for 18 days, succumbing in the end to pneumonia. His new heart beat strongly to the end.

First vaccine developed for chicken pox.

Oct 17, 1974

First vaccine developed for chicken pox

First test-tube baby is born

Oct 17, 1978

First test-tube baby is born. At 11:47 p.m. on July 25, 1978, Lesley Brown delivered a five-pound 12-ounce baby girl via Cesarean section. They baby girl was named Louise Joy Brown.

Last fatal case of smallpox

Oct 19, 1978

Last fatal case of smallpox

Smallpox is eradicated

Oct 17, 1980

Smallpox is eradicated.

HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is identified

Oct 17, 1983

HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is identified.

Willem J. Kolff invented the artificial kidney dialysis machine.

Oct 17, 1985

Willem J. Kolff, 97, the Dutch-born doctor who saved and prolonged countless lives as the inventor of the modern kidney dialysis machine and chief designer of the first mechanical heart implanted in a human being, died Feb. 11 in Newtown Square, Pa. He had congestive heart failure.

DNA Fingerprinting

Oct 19, 1985

DNA Fingerprinting - Alec Jeffreys

Dolly the sheep becomes the first clone.

Oct 17, 1996

Dolly the sheep becomes the first clone.

First vaccine to target a cause of cancer

Oct 17, 2006

First vaccine to target a cause of cancer.