Sir Alexander Fleming was a young bacteriologist when an accidental discovery led to one of the great developments of modern medicine on this day in 1929. Having left a plate of staphylococcus bacteria uncovered, Fleming noticed that a mold that had fallen on the culture had killed many of the bacteria. He identified the mold as penicillium notatum, similar to the kind found on bread. On February 14, 1929, Fleming introduced his mold by-product called penicillin to cure bacterial infections.
Also on This Day
- Lead Story
- St. Valentine beheaded, 278
- American Revolution
- Patriots defeat Loyalists at Kettle Creek, 1779
- Automotive
- Toyota patriarch born, 1867
- Civil War
- Union General Sherman enters Meridian, Mississippi, 1864
- Cold War
- Sandinistas agree to free elections, 1989
- Crime
- The St. Valentine's Day Massacre, 1929
- Disaster
- Tornadoes sweep through southern Georgia, 2000
- General Interest
- Captain Cook killed in Hawaii, 1779
- Valentine's Day Massacre takes place, 1929
- Penicillin discovered, 1929
- Hollywood
- Hedda Hopper’s first column appears in the L.A. Times, 1938
- Literary
- The Boz Ball celebrates Dickens, 1842
- Music
- The B-52's play their first gig, 1977
- Old West
- First trainload of oranges leaves Los Angeles, 1886
- Presidential
- Theodore Roosevelt's wife and mother die, 1884
- Sports
- Olympic speed skater Jansen falls after sister dies, 1988
- Vietnam War
- Kennedy authorizes U.S. advisors to fire in self-defense, 1962
- Gallup Poll released, 1970
- World War I
- Wilson presents draft covenant for League of Nations, 1919
- World War II
- Battle of the Kasserine Pass, 1943
Feb 14, 1929:
Penicillin discovered
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This Week in History, Feb 14 - Feb 20
- Feb 14, 1779
- Captain Cook killed in Hawaii
- Feb 14, 1929
- Valentine's Day Massacre takes place
- Feb 14, 1929
- Penicillin discovered
- Feb 15, 1942
- Japan celebrates major victory in the Pacific
- Feb 15, 1965
- Canada adopts maple leaf flag
- Feb 16, 1804
- The most daring act of the age
- Feb 16, 1959
- Castro sworn in
- Feb 17, 1801
- Deadlock over presidential election ends
- Feb 17, 1957
- Gromyko becomes foreign minister
- Feb 17, 1979
- China invades Vietnam
- Feb 18, 1856
- Know-Nothings convene in Philadelphia
- Feb 18, 1930
- Pluto discovered
- Feb 18, 1948
- De Valera resigns
- Feb 18, 1967
- J. Robert Oppenheimer dies
- Feb 19, 1473
- Copernicus born
- Feb 19, 1807
- Aaron Burr arrested for treason
- Feb 19, 1942
- Roosevelt signs Executive Order 9066
- Feb 19, 1974
- Solzhenitsyn reunited with family
- Feb 20, 1725
- American colonists practice scalping
- Feb 20, 1962
- An American orbits earth
- Feb 20, 1986
- Chunnel plans announced
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