The Biggest Health Breakthrough From The Year You Were Born

You’ve heard Neil Armstrong’s moonwalk described as “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Well, each and every year, dedicated scientists make new and important “giant leaps” for mankind. From developing vaccines to curing diseases, major health breakthroughs are being made every single year.

It’s interesting to reflect on the major health advances that took place the year that you were born, and remark just how far the world has come since that time. You might be surprised by just how much wasn’t around when you were growing up in the world, because it feels like some of these things have been around forever, when in fact they really haven’t…

1945: The Flu Vaccine

In the first half of the 20th century, influenza took the lives of many men, women, and children. After a vaccine was developed in 1945, the death rate in the US dropped from 10.2 to 0.56 per 100,000 people. This vaccine was the first in a long line of victories in scientists’ fight against deadly epidemics.

1946: Mutations by X-Ray Radiation

If you’ve ever had an x-ray, you’ve been told to protect your torso with a lead apron. In 1946, scientists discovered that x-rays are as dangerous as they are diagnostically useful when they produced mutations through radiation. The discovery led to the safer x-ray practices you see today, as well as the first appearance of “x-ray superpowers” in comics.

1947: The Diphtheria and Tetanus Vaccines

Parents and pediatricians around the globe breathed a big sigh of relief when the diphtheria and tetanus vaccines were developed. Diphtheria was responsible for terrible muscle spasms, and both infections could lead to death. Starting in 1947, children as young as six months old could receive a vaccine to prevent the spread of these deadly diseases.

1948: DDT 

In 1948, Paul Hermann Müller received a Nobel Prize when he discovered that dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (aren’t you glad they shortened it to “DDT”?) had insecticidal properties. The discovery allowed scientists to stop the spread of malaria and typhus. The chemical was later banned when scientists found dangerous side-effects, such as soil degradation and endocrine disruption.

1949: The Pertussis (DTP) Vaccine

Shortly after the 1947 victory over diphtheria and tetanus, scientists developed a third vaccine to prevent another deadly disease in children: pertussis. The vaccine saved millions of children from the disease also known as whooping cough. Today, more than 80% of children in the US receive the recommended four doses of the vaccine.

1950: Adrenal Cortex Hormones

In 1950, scientists discovered the biological effect of adrenal cortex hormones. The adrenal cortex is responsible for producing different corticosteroid hormones, and inadequate secretion of these hormones can lead to Addison’s disease. Symptoms include anemia, low blood pressure, and discoloration of the skin. Further research found that an adrenal crisis can be caused by high stress levels.

1951: Cause of Yellow Fever

For years, scientists disagreed on what caused yellow fever. Scientist Max Theiler successfully proved in 1951 that yellow fever is a virus, not a bacteria (as many suspected). This initial discovery allowed Theiler and his team to develop a yellow fever vaccine that saved millions of lives throughout Africa and South America.

1952: Streptomycin

In 1952, Dr. Selman Waksman found streptomycin to be the first antibiotic effective against tuberculosis. It’s no wonder he received the Nobel Prize for his discovery, as the number of registered patients with tuberculosis was six times smaller once the doctor developed an antibiotic with streptomycin.

1953: The Yellow Fever Vaccine

When a new vaccine is discovered, it must first undergo a licensing process to ensure it’s safe and effective. Once the vaccine for yellow fever passed those tests and became licensed in 1953, it became widely available throughout the US. Yellow fever is a painful disease named for the way it damages a victim’s liver and turns their skin yellow. Fortunately, thanks to the 1953 vaccine, you’re far less likely to ever experience those symptoms for yourself.

1954: The Poliomyelitis Virus

In 1954, John Franklin Enders, Thomas Huckle Weller, and Frederick Chapman Robbins found that poliomyelitis viruses could grow in cultures of various types of tissue. This may just sound like a confusing project from your high school chemistry lab, but the discovery led to the development of the polio vaccine. The trio even received a Nobel Prize for their work— which is probably more than you can say about that chemistry lab you did in the 9th grade.

1955: The Polio Vaccine

Before the polio vaccine was licensed in 1955, approximately 500,000 people worldwide died or became paralyzed by poliomyelitis (also known as polio) each year. The March of Dimes worked hard to spread the word about the new vaccine, and five years later, only 61 cases were registered in the US.

1956: Cardiac Catheterization

If you ever suffer from clogged arteries, doctors may opt to insert a catheter in your artery or vein and thread it to your heart. This is a popular tool for treating cardiovascular conditions, and we owe it all to German physician Werner Forssmann. His 1965 invention allows doctors to diagnose and treat heart conditions, as well as take samples of heart muscle when needed.

1957: Dog Receives Artificial Heart

In 1957, Dr. Willem Kolff and Dr. Tetsuzo Akutsu shocked the world by implanting an artificial heart into a canine for the first time. Their research and hard work paid off when, in 1982, doctors followed in their footsteps and implanted the first artificial heart in a human patient.

1958: Genes Regulate Chemical Events

Edward Tatum and George Wells Beadle explored the role of DNA in regulating biochemical processes within cells. They came to the conclusion that genes and enzymatic reactions are interrelated. Tatum and Beadle couldn’t have imagined the full significance of their discovery at the time, but their work laid the foundation for further genetic and enzyme research.

1959: The Enzymes in RNA and DNA Synthesis

You probably learned a lot about RNA and DNA in high school biology, but do you remember how they’re formed? It was all one big mystery until Arthur Kornberg and Severo Ochoa discovered the enzymes responsible for their synthesis. The scientists received the Nobel Prize in 1959 for their groundbreaking research.

1960: Acquired Immunological Tolerance

When Rupert E. Billingham and Peter Medawar discovered that the immune systems of mice could accept foreign cells, scientists everywhere became one step closer to the ability to perform life-saving transplants. The pair were rewarded for the contribution with a Nobel Prize.

1961: Cochlear Stimulation

Have you ever teared up watching a viral video of deaf or hard-of-hearing patients receiving a cochlear implant and hearing their loved ones for the first time? The development of ear prostheses and implants stems from an important discovery in 1961, when Georg von Békésky of Hungary developed a way to stimulate the cochlea with a physical mechanism.

1962: Oral Polio Vaccine

Seven years after the polio vaccine was initially developed, scientists announced yet another breakthrough in the fight against polio: an oral vaccine. Their hard work made it even easier to administer the vaccine, and the widespread fear of polio is now a distant memory.

1963: The Measles Vaccine

Before 1963, the measles were responsible for a large number of hospitalizations and deaths. On average, 500 people died, 48,000 were hospitalized, and 4,000 suffered encephalitis each year until a vaccine was developed. By 2000, the disease was largely eliminated from the US.

1964: Cholesterol and Fatty Acid Synthesis

Has your doctor ever told you to cut back on cholesterol? A lot of modern understanding surrounding cholesterol is rooted in this 1964 discovery. Konrad Bloch and Feodor Lynen accomplished groundbreaking research around the regulation of cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis.

1965: Bifurcated Needle for Smallpox Vaccine

The bifurcated needle is simple but powerful. Its two-pronged design was crucial in the campaign to eradicate smallpox in the US. More than 200 million vaccinations were administered annually with this groundbreaking instrument. The tiny tool led the way in the fight against the spread of smallpox and other diseases.

1966: Hormonal Treatment of Prostatic Cancer

In 1966, Charles Brenton Huggins received the Nobel Prize for his discovery that the female hormone estrogen could slow down the pathological process of prostate cancer, shaping the future of prostate cancer treatment. The year was an especially exciting one for health scientists fighting cancer, as the Nobel committee also awarded Peyton Rous a prize for his discovery of tumor-inducing viruses.

1967: The Mumps Vaccine

The mumps vaccine was licensed for widespread use in 1967. Within 30 years of the momentous occasion, mumps rates were reduced to nearly zero. The vaccine is administered alongside measles and rubella vaccines in a trio commonly known as MMR. Children get the vaccine in two doses, the first between 12 and 15 months of age and the second before starting kindergarten.

1968: The Genetic Code and Protein Synthesis

You may remember from high school biology that your DNA holds the recipe that determines your unique traits and drives many important functions. In 1968, Robert W. Holley, Har Gobind Khorana, and Marshall W. Nirenberg received a Nobel Prize for their discovery of how a certain section of that genetic code instructs your body to create proteins.

1969: The Replication Mechanism and Genetic Structure of Viruses

After the 1968 breakthrough in interpreting DNA, further cellular discoveries soon followed. Max Delbrück, Alfred D. Hershey, and Salvador E. Luria’s research in 1969 found that viral infections caused mutations in both viruses and cells. Their work was one of the first big breakthroughs for molecular biology.

1970: The Rubella Vaccine

The rubella vaccine was widely used in the 1971 mass immunization campaign in combination with measles/mumps (a vaccine trio known as MMR). The vaccine is now included in the World Health Organization’s list of the most essential medicines. It was so powerful in combating rubella that only nine incidences of the disease were recorded in the US in 2013.

1971: Hormone Mechanisms

In 1971, scientist Earl W. Sutherland Jr. was awarded the Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking research on hormone mechanisms. He shed light on how hormones communicate chemical messages to different parts of your body and discovered a previously undetected chemical that plays a key role in the regulation of many of your crucial life processes.

1972: The Chemical Structure of Antibodies

Antibodies are like the guards protecting our immune system from unwanted invaders. Before 1972, scientists were puzzled at how antibodies knew which invaders to attack. Rodney Porter and Gerald Edelman’s research explained exactly how antibodies could identify certain invaders in order to attack them.

1973: Animal Social Behavior Patterns

In 1973, the key scientific breakthrough shifted from the previous trend of cellular discoveries to a focus on bees, birds, and wildlife. Karl von Frisch, Konrad Lorenz, and Nikolaas Tinbergen were recognized as pioneers in observing the social behavior patterns of animals. As part of this research, Karl von Frisch famously explained how the honeybee danced to communicate with other bees.

1974: The Chickenpox Vaccine

Did you ever break out in itchy red bumps as a child? If not, you may have this 1974 Japanese discovery to thank. Scientists there created a vaccine that decreased the rate of the highly infectious virus to 10% after just two doses by stimulating your immune system to deliver antibodies.

1975: Viruses as the Cause of Tumors

Scientists had long suspected that viruses could cause tumors, but it wasn’t confirmed until 1975. David Baltimore, Renato Dulbecco, and Howard Temin’s research on the topic led to great breakthroughs in scientists’ understanding of tumorigenesis and laid groundwork for later strides in developing cancer treatments.

1976: Breakthroughs in Infectious Disease Research

In 1976, Baruch Samuel Blumberg and Carleton Gajdusek each received a Nobel Prize for their separate studies on the origin and dissemination of infectious diseases. Blumberg is credited with discovering the hepatitis B virus, while Gajdusek analyzed kuru, a rampant disease in New Guinea and the first human prion disease shown to be infectious.

1977: The Pneumonia Vaccine

In 1977, the first vaccine for pneumonia was licensed. It protected recipients against 14 strains of bacteria at the time, but it was later expanded to protect against 23 different strains. The vaccine is now recommended by the World Health Organization for routine childhood immunization.

1978: The Meningitis Vaccine

The meningitis vaccine of 1978 isn’t the meningitis vaccine of today. Continued improvements over the years have rendered the current version even more effective than its earliest editions. It now works in 80-100% of cases for the first two years after injection, though there are still some forms of meningitis that are resistant to the vaccine.

1979: Computer Assisted Tomography

Although x-rays are somewhat helpful in checking out what’s going on beneath your skin, their two-dimensional images are limited in what they can display. Computer assisted tomography, also known as CT scanning, takes virtual slices of internal organs to make three dimensional images of a much higher quality. This technology allows doctors to more confidently diagnose diseases and plan for treatment.

1980: Smallpox Eradicated

In 1980, scientists— and the world as a whole— celebrated a massive victory following the vaccination campaigns of previous decades. The World Health Organization declared that smallpox had been completely eradicated from the planet. This was the first and only time to date that an infectious disease had been totally eliminated. Over 500 million people were killed by smallpox in the 20th century alone, so the announcement was certainly cause for great celebration!

1981: The Hepatitis B Vaccine

The hepatitis B vaccine was first developed in the 1970s, but it wasn’t approved until 1981, when scientists were able to produce a safer version with an impressive 90% efficacy rate. Hepatitis B is a very dangerous disease that may lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer, so the licensing of a preventative vaccine saved countless lives.

1982: Human Receives First Artificial Heart

In 1982, Barney Clark was the first human to receive an artificial heart, implanted by Dr. William DeVries. Clark lived just 112 days after the operation, but his role in a major medical breakthrough will be remembered forever. Dr. DeVries was able to show that this major procedure was possible and went on to correct the problems that led to organ failure in the first patient.

1983: HIV Identified as Cause of AIDS

The 1983 discovery of HIV as the virus responsible for causing AIDS was a crucial early step in the scientific research surrounding HIV and AIDS. Researchers went on to identify more varieties of the virus and its ability to mutate, which makes HIV extremely difficult to cure. This early discovery was important in helping scientists understand how HIV is transferred so that they could better prevent the spread of the deadly virus.

1984: Production of Monoclonal Antibodies

Niels K. Jerne, Georges J.F. Köhler, and César Milstein received the Nobel Prize in 1984 for their research surrounding the development and control of the immune system. Their discovery of the principle for production of monoclonal antibodies laid the groundwork for future antibodies research.

1985: The Regulation of Cholesterol Metabolism

In 1985, scientists conducted groundbreaking research on how the body can regulate cholesterol metabolism, leading to important developments in preventing atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is caused by an accumulation of white blood cells in arteries, which leads them to narrow dangerously.

1986: Growth Factors

In 1986, Stanley Cohen and Rita Levi-Montalcini displayed how the differentiation and growth of cells are controlled by epidermal growth factor (EGF) and nerve growth factor (NGF). For example, Rita Levi-Montalcini noticed that certain cancerous tissues cause rapid growth of nerve cells. Their research provided a better understanding of tumor diseases and deformities.

1987: The Genetic Principle for Generation of Antibody Diversity

Antibodies are the little soldiers in our bodies that fight against bacteria and viruses. Scientist Susumu Tonegawa from Massachusetts Institute of Technology won a Nobel Prize in 1987 for displaying the process of the human genome in producing a great variety of antibodies.

1988: The Resolution to Eradicate Polio by the Year 2000

In 1988, the World Health Organization member states joined hands to eliminate polio worldwide. Though this goal hasn’t yet been fully accomplished, the number of recorded patients suffering from polio in 2015 was less than 100. This is a remarkable improvement from 1988, when that number was in the hundreds of thousands.

1989: The Cellular Origin of Retroviral Oncogenes

In 1989, scientists J. Michael Bishop and Harold E. Varmus studied how malignant tumors develop. They discovered the first human oncogene that transforms normal cells into tumorous cells with a high probability of leading to cancer. This breakthrough was critical in scientists’ fight against cancer.

1990: Organ and Cell Transplantation in the Treatment of Human Disease

Joseph E. Murray and E. Donnall Thomas’ research in 1990 led to the approval of organ and cell transplantation as a practice for treating human disease. E. Donnall Thomas partnered with his wife and assistant Dottie to develop and implement bone marrow transplantation as a treatment for leukemia.

1991: Hepatitis B Vaccination Recommended for All Infants

Although the hepatitis B vaccine was licensed in 1981, there was still a need for a more consistent immunization program ten years later. In 1991, the health community focused on vaccinating against hepatitis B in childhood with great success. In 1980, the reported number of incidents of hepatitis B in the US exceeded 20,000 cases. By 2014, less than 5,000 cases were recorded.

1992: The Hepatitis A Vaccine

In 1992, the hepatitis A vaccine was officially licensed. Two years later, it was added to the vaccination program that was responsible for the success of the hepatitis B vaccine. Hepatitis A symptoms include fatigue, fever, loss of appetite, stomach pain, and nausea, but the disease is preventable thanks to the 1992 licensing of this vaccine.

1993: Medicare Part B Covers the Cost of the Influenza Vaccine

Have you gotten your flu shot this year? In 1993, scientists were able to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of the vaccine to get it covered under Medicare Part B. The coverage made the vaccine more affordable for those covered by Medicare, reducing their likelihood of catching the flu.

1994: The Western Hemisphere Certified Polio-Free

Thanks to the mass immunization campaign of the 1980s, the western half of the world was declared free of polio in 1994. Although this was a significant global health victory, scientists and activists continue to fight the disease in the poorer nations of the world where it lingers.

1995: The Varicella Virus Vaccine

The varicella virus often leads to chickenpox, an uncomfortable and highly contagious disease that plagues sufferers for two or three weeks on average and can cause pneumonia and inflammation of the brain. The results of the 1995 vaccine are impressive: the vaccine works in 70-90% of cases and is administered to those 12 months old and above.

1996: First Cloned Mammal

When Dolly became the first mammal cloned from an adult somatic cell in 1996, the sheep lived for six years and became more famous than most rock stars. The experiment was conducted by Sir Ian Wilmut and Keith Campbell from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. The cloning was surrounded by great controversy, especially from religious associations.

1997: Prions

In 1997, scientists discovered prions, a previously unknown principle of infections made entirely of protein material that represented a totally new kind of disease. Mad cow disease is perhaps the most well-known disease caused by prions and can affect animals and humans (though it’s called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans).

1998: The Lyme Vaccine

The first vaccine against Lyme disease was discovered in 1998. The vaccine was nearly 80% effective in preventing Lyme disease, but its creators unfortunately pulled it from the market before it was ever licensed. More than 20,000 new cases continue to be registered each year, and 90% of those are found in only ten states in the northeastern US.

1999: Protein Pathways

In 1999, German scientist Günter Blobel discovered that proteins have intrinsic signals to govern their transport and localization in a cell. Blobel received the Nobel Prize for the discovery of these protein pathways and donated all his prize money to the restoration of the city of Dresden.

2000: First Draft of the Human Genome

The 15-year and $3-billion project of identifying and mapping all of the genes of the human genome started primarily to detect the genes related to diseases. The project produced its first tangible result in 2000 when Bill Clinton and Toni Blair jointly announced the completion of a “rough draft.”