Louis Pasteur

1822 – 1895

Louis Pasteur was a French chemist and microbiologist whose work established the germ theory of disease and the principles of vaccination, fundamentally reshaping medicine and public health. He invented the heat-treatment process now known as pasteurization, developed the first effective vaccines for anthrax and rabies—the latter administered in 1885 to a 9-year-old boy bitten by a rabid dog—and is credited with saving millions of lives through his discoveries. He co-founded the Pasteur Institute in Paris in 1887, where he served as director until his death.

Last checked: May 10, 2026, 1:06 PM