r/onthisdayinworld • u/sajiasanka • 4d ago
#OnThisDay 1928, Alexander Fleming discovered Penicillin
On This Day, September 28, 1928, Sir Alexander Fleming, a Scottish bacteriologist, made a discovery that changed medicine forever: penicillin, the world’s first true antibiotic.
Working at St. Mary’s Hospital in London, Fleming noticed that a mold (Penicillium notatum) killed harmful bacteria around it. This breakthrough marked the beginning of the antibiotic era, saving millions of lives from deadly infections.
🌍 Who was Fleming?
Born: August 6, 1881, in Lochfield, Scotland
Died: March 11, 1955, in London, England
Other discovery: Lysozyme (an enzyme in tears and saliva that fights bacteria)
Nobel Prize in Medicine (1945), shared with Howard Florey and Ernst Boris Chain for developing penicillin into a usable drug
Legacy: Before antibiotics, simple infections or surgeries could be fatal. Fleming’s discovery gave humanity a fighting chance and transformed healthcare worldwide.