Edward Jenner
TL;DR: The doctor whose curiosity eradicated smallpox.
The Great Killer
For centuries, Smallpox was the scourge of humanity, killing nearly 30% of those it infected and leaving survivors permanently scarred or blind. In the 18th century, an English doctor named Edward Jenner noticed a folklore tale: milkmaids who contracted the mild 'cowpox' never seemed to catch smallpox.
The Dangerous Experiment
In 1796, Jenner tested his theory in an experiment that would be considered unethical today but was revolutionary then. He took pus from a cowpox blister and scraped it into the arm of an 8-year-old boy. Later, he exposed the boy to smallpox. The boy did not get sick. Jenner had invented the world's first 'vaccine' (from the Latin 'vacca' for cow).
A World Without Smallpox
Jenner refused to patent his discovery, saying, 'Can you patent the sun?' He wanted the vaccine to be free for all mankind. Because of his work, smallpox was officially eradicated from the planet in 1980. It is estimated that his work has saved more lives (over 500 million) than any other individual in human history.
The World Without Him
Without Edward Jenner, Smallpox would likely still be with us today. In the 20th century alone, before its eradication, Smallpox killed roughly 300 million people. Without his discovery of vaccination, this death toll would have continued indefinitely. You would likely know someone who died from or was scarred by this disease.
