On This Day
·

First human test of a vaccine against cholera; Ukrainian bacteriologist Waldemar Haffkine risks his life by successfully

First human test of a vaccine against cholera; Ukrainian bacteriologist Waldemar Haffkine risks his life by successfully testing it on himself

Waldemar Mordechai Wolff Haffkine , born Vladimir Aronovich Khavkin Хавкин; 15 March 1860 – 26 October 1930) was a Russian-French bacteriologist known for his pioneering work in vaccines.

Haffkine was educated at the Imperial Novorossiya University and later emigrated first to Switzerland, then to France, working at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, where he developed a cholera vaccine that he tried out successfully in India. He is recognized as the first microbiologist who developed and used vaccines against cholera and bubonic plague. He tested the vaccines on himself. Joseph Lister named him "a saviour of humanity".

He was appointed Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (CIE) in Queen Victoria's 1897 Diamond Jubilee Honours.

Historical Significance

Waldemar Mordechai Wolff Haffkine , born Vladimir Aronovich Khavkin Хавкин; 15 March 1860 – 26 October 1930) was a Russian-French bacteriologist known for his pioneering work in vaccines.

Events Before

  1. French troops occupy Nioro, West Sudan, and 3,000 people are killed

    French troops occupy Nioro, West Sudan, and 3,000 people are killed

  2. A Hatfield marries a McCoy, ends long feud in West Virginia it started with an accusation of pig-stealing & lasted 20 ye

    A Hatfield marries a McCoy, ends long feud in West Virginia it started with an accusation of pig-stealing & lasted 20 years

  3. 56th UK Prime Minister Bonar Law (32) weds Annie Robley at West Free Church in Helensburgh, Scotland

    56th UK Prime Minister Bonar Law (32) weds Annie Robley at West Free Church in Helensburgh, Scotland

  4. 1st World Weightlifting Championship is won by Edward Lawrence in London

    1st World Weightlifting Championship is won by Edward Lawrence in London

  5. Music Hall (now Carnegie Hall) opens in New York City, with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky as guest conductor of the New York

    Music Hall (now Carnegie Hall) opens in New York City, with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky as guest conductor of the New York Music Society Orchestra

Events After

  1. First U.S. college extension courses for credit are offered at the University of Chicago

    The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, UChi, or U of C) is a private research university in the Hyde Park community area of Chicago, Illinois, United States. The university is composed of an...

  2. British poet and writer Rudyard Kipling (26) weds Carrie Balestier (29) at All Souls Church in Langham Place, London, En

    British poet and writer Rudyard Kipling (26) weds Carrie Balestier (29) at All Souls Church in Langham Place, London, England; writer. Henry James gave away the bride

  3. Thomas Edison completes the world's first movie studio in West Orange, New Jersey

    Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman.

  4. Panic of 1893 causes a large crash on the NY Stock Exchange

    Panic of 1893 causes a large crash on the NY Stock Exchange

  5. Henri Desgrange establishes world's 1st bicycle world record, travelling 35.325 km (21.95 miles) an hour

    Henri Desgrange establishes world's 1st bicycle world record, travelling 35.325 km (21.95 miles) an hour

More from the 1890s

Physicist J. J. Thomson (33) weds Rose Elisabeth Paget

Physicist J. J. Thomson (33) weds Rose Elisabeth Paget

Ellis Island opens as a US immigration inspection station and becomes the gateway to the United States for more than 12

Ellis Island opens as a US immigration inspection station and becomes the gateway to the United States for more than 12 million people

German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen announces his discovery of X-rays

German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen announces his discovery of X-rays

Eritrea is consolidated into a colony by the Italian government

Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. Its capital and largest city is Asmara.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on July 18, 1892?
Waldemar Mordechai Wolff Haffkine , born Vladimir Aronovich Khavkin Хавкин; 15 March 1860 – 26 October 1930) was a Russian-French bacteriologist known for his pioneering work in vaccines. Haffkine was educated at the Imperial Novorossiya University and later emigrated first to Switzerland, then to France, working at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, where he developed a cholera vaccine that he tried out successfully in India. He is recognized as the first microbiologist who developed and used vaccines against cholera and bubonic plague.
Why is First human test of a vaccine against cholera; Ukrainian bacteriologist Walde... significant?
Waldemar Mordechai Wolff Haffkine , born Vladimir Aronovich Khavkin Хавкин; 15 March 1860 – 26 October 1930) was a Russian-French bacteriologist known for his pioneering work in vaccines.

Explore More

July 18 in HistoryYear 1892