Alexander Fleming

Alexander Fleming was born to Hugh Fleming and Grace Stirling Morton in Lochfield, Ayrshire, Scotland. He was the third of four children and grew up on his family's farm.

At the age of 14, Alexander moved to London to live with his older brother Tom, where he completed his early education and began working as a shipping clerk.

Fleming won a scholarship to St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, where he excelled in his studies and developed a keen interest in bacteriology and immunology.

Fleming graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School with distinction and joined the research department, where he worked under the guidance of Sir Almroth Wright, a pioneer in bacteriology.

During World War I, Fleming served as a captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps, where he worked on the treatment of battlefield wounds and infections, gaining valuable experience in clinical bacteriology.

After the war, Fleming returned to St. Mary's Hospital and resumed his research in bacteriology, focusing on the study of antibacterial substances and the treatment of infections.

While working in his laboratory, Fleming noticed that a mold, later identified as Penicillium notatum, had contaminated a Petri dish of Staphylococcus bacteria and had killed the surrounding bacteria, leading to the discovery of penicillin.

Fleming published his findings on the antibacterial properties of penicillin in the British Journal of Experimental Pathology, but initial interest in his discovery was limited.

Fleming, along with Howard Florey and Ernst Chain, received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work on penicillin, which revolutionized the treatment of bacterial infections.

Alexander Fleming died of a heart attack at his home in London. He was buried in St. Paul's Cathedral, and his legacy as the discoverer of penicillin continues to inspire scientists and medical professionals worldwide.