Chemist · 1822 – 1895
Louis Pasteur
Little-Known Facts
- Before turning to biology, Pasteur made a major discovery in chemistry by explaining the asymmetry of crystals.
- He first administered his rabies vaccine to a human, a boy named Joseph Meister, in 1885, even though he was not a licensed physician.
Myths & Misconceptions
Did Pasteur invent the first vaccine?
No. Edward Jenner pioneered smallpox vaccination decades earlier, but Pasteur created the first laboratory-developed vaccines and explained the underlying principle.