On This Day

Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is patented by Felix Hoffmann at the German company Bayer

Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid), an organic compound that does not occur in nature, was first synthesised in 1899.

Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid), an organic compound that does not occur in nature, was first synthesised in 1899. In 1897, scientists at the drug and dye firm Bayer began investigating acetylated organic compounds as possible new medicines, following the success of acetanilide ten years earlier. Two years later, Bayer created acetylsalicylic acid, which they marketed around the world under the brand name "Aspirin". The drug was sold widely in the first half of the twentieth century, both by Bayer and by competing drug manufacturers. The name "aspirin" was so widely used that Bayer lost (or sold) the rights to the trademark in many countries.

Aspirin's popularity declined after the development of acetaminophen/paracetamol in 1956 and ibuprofen in 1962.

Historical Significance

Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid), an organic compound that does not occur in nature, was first synthesised in 1899.

Key People

Felix Hoffmann

chemist

German chemist

Events Before

  1. Brooklyn merges with New York City to form the present-day City of New York

    The City of Greater New York was the consolidation of the City of New York with Brooklyn, western Queens County, and Staten Island, which took effect on January 1, 1898.

  2. Painter Henri Matisse (28) weds Amélie Noellie Parayre

    Painter Henri Matisse (28) weds Amélie Noellie Parayre

  3. Australian cricketer Joe Darling hits the first six in Test cricket (out of the ground)

    Australian cricketer Joe Darling hits the first six in Test cricket (out of the ground)

  4. Poet Paul Laurence Dunbar (25) weds political activist and poet Alice Ruth Moore (22) in New York

    Poet Paul Laurence Dunbar (25) weds political activist and poet Alice Ruth Moore (22) in New York

  5. Battle of Atbara River: Anglo-Egyptian forces defeat 15,000 Sudanese during the Mahdist War, a turning point in the reco

    Battle of Atbara River: Anglo-Egyptian forces defeat 15,000 Sudanese during the Mahdist War, a turning point in the reconquest of Sudan

Events After

  1. Compulsory primary school education in the Netherlands goes into effect

    Education in the Netherlands is characterized by division: education is oriented toward the needs and background of the pupil.

  2. Giacomo Puccini's opera "Tosca", with a libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, premieres at Teatro Costanzi in R

    Giacomo Puccini's opera "Tosca", with a libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, premieres at Teatro Costanzi in Rome, Italy

  3. The Trades Union Congress and the Independent Labour Party (formed in 1893) meet in London, resulting in a Labour Repres

    The Trades Union Congress and the Independent Labour Party (formed in 1893) meet in London, resulting in a Labour Representative Committee and eventually the modern UK Labour Party in 1906

  4. Dutch botanist Hugo de Vries rediscovers Gregor Mendel's laws of heredity and genetics

    Dutch botanist Hugo de Vries rediscovers Gregor Mendel's laws of heredity and genetics

  5. US Secretary of State John Hay announces that all nations to whom he sent notes calling for an 'open door' policy in Chi

    US Secretary of State John Hay announces that all nations to whom he sent notes calling for an 'open door' policy in China have essentially accepted his stance

More from the 1890s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on March 6, 1899?
Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid), an organic compound that does not occur in nature, was first synthesised in 1899. In 1897, scientists at the drug and dye firm Bayer began investigating acetylated organic compounds as possible new medicines, following the success of acetanilide ten years earlier. Two years later, Bayer created acetylsalicylic acid, which they marketed around the world under the brand name "Aspirin".
Why is Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is patented by Felix Hoffmann at the German co... significant?
Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid), an organic compound that does not occur in nature, was first synthesised in 1899.
Who was involved in Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is patented by Felix Hoffmann at the German co...?
Key figures include Felix Hoffmann (chemist).

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