History

Maria Salomea Skłodowska, aka Marie Curie, entered the world on November 7, 1867. She already had four older siblings. At the time, the entire family resided in the city of Warsaw, Poland. Maria’s mother and father were both teachers. Her father specifically focused on the subjects of physics and mathematics but her mother headed a prestigious all-girls school. Her family’s strong background in education served as a foundation for the young Maria who had a remarkable memory. The young girl enjoyed a happy childhood until the age of eight when her older sister Sophia died of typhus. Two years later, Maria’s mother…

After ruthless attacks by the press and working feverishly for years to establish the U.S. constitution as president, the retired George Washington's death was approaching. It was a cold day on December 12, 1799 but that didn’t prevent the elderly Washington from supervising activities on his farm from morning until the afternoon. Before he finished for the day, the former president worked through rain, hail, and then snow. Upon his arrival back home, Washington refused to change out of his wet clothes. By the next morning, he was already reporting a sore throat. However, he continued on with his work, pushing himself to go…

Ötzi the Iceman is a prehistoric mummy that was found on and named for the Ötzal Alps that sit on the border between Austria and Italy. The naturally preserved remains are the oldest mummy ever found and have given researchers unprecedented insight into the lives of prehistoric humans. By analyzing the genome of the man, scientists have uncovered details that allow present-day humans to relate to his story. Ötzi the Iceman's Appearance A recent genetic study on the over 5,000-year-old mummy looked at over 100 small areas in his genome that are known to be related to skin color. It found that Ötzi likely…

John F. Kennedy: Addison’s Disease John F. Kennedy served as the 35th president of the United States of America, being assassinated before he could finish his first term. Sadly, the president, also known as JFK, lived a life filled with pain before his untimely death. He is said to have been diagnosed with a disorder called Addison’s disease in 1947, years before he was sworn in as president in 1961. This only added to the future politician’s troubles, as he already struggled with digestive problems, ulcers, and severe lower back pain. Addison’s disease is an uncommon condition with genetic causes. People with Addison’s disease have…

Cancer is a disease in which abnormal cells grow uncontrollably. It is also the second leading cause of death in the world. In spite of its rather simple definition and high prevalence, people in history haven’t always understood cancer or how to treat it. Ancient Egypt The oldest description of cancer can be found in an ancient Egyptian papyrus named after one of its past owners, egyptologist Edwin Smith. The Edwin Smith papyrus is approximately 5,000 years old and served as a convenient copy of an ancient textbook. It describes eight cases of what it calls “ulcers” located in the breast. Unfortunately, though it…

Genetic counseling is a position in the medical field that involves counseling people who are or could be affected by a genetic disorder. Genetic counselors advise patients about genetic testing and the implications of being diagnosed with a condition. Though there have been some recent changes to the nature of the job such as the use of telehealth services and the increase in specialties, genetic counseling has existed in some form for a long time. Before the 1960s In an ancient Jewish text called The Talmud, mothers were advised to not have their sons circumcised if they had two previous sons that died of blood…

Epilepsy, which causes seizures, is one of the most common types of neurological conditions. It can be caused by a combination of both genetic and environmental factors. However, there are instances in which the condition is caused by a single genetic mutation. Epilepsy-causing genetic changes can occur in genes like CDKL5 and FOXG1. Because there are many different causes, the condition has been common throughout history. Its presence in different regions and eras means that depictions of those that suffered from it vary greatly. Ancient Times One of the earlier known references to epilepsy-like symptoms appears in an Ancient Mesopotamian text called The Code Of Hammurabi that is believed to…

Atomic Bombs in the News Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer has captured the imaginations of thousands of viewers with over six hundred million dollars of revenue made in the global box office. Depicting the work of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the film powerfully captures the construction of the atomic bombs used to end the second World War. However, what many viewers might not know is that the two atomic bombs, “Little Boy” and “Fat Man,” had profound genetic implications.   Effects of the Bombs Although the immediate consequences of the atomic bombs were devastating, decades later, the effects of radiation continue to affect the…

Who was M.S. Swaminathan? M.S. Swaminathan was an Indian geneticist born August 7th, 1925, who played a contributing role in India’s Green Revolution. As a former student of genetics and plant breeding at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Swaminathan became a reputable cytogeneticist that identified chromosomal structure and alterations of various plants.  India's Green Revolution In the 1960s, India was one of the highest populated countries in the world with the second largest agricultural land in the world. That said, at this time, food production was so bad that India was on the precipice of major famine and hosted around…