Image Courtesy: Google Doodle
Karl Landsteiner (4 June 1868 – 26 June 1943) was an Austrian-born American biologist, physician, and immunologist. He emigrated with his family to New York in 1923 for professional opportunities, working for the Rockefeller Institute.
Life and Career
Karl Landsteiner, born on June 14, 1868, in Vienna, Austria, was a renowned biologist and physician whose groundbreaking discoveries in immunology and blood transfusion have left an indelible mark on medical science. After earning his medical degree from the University of Vienna in 1891, Landsteiner embarked on a distinguished career that spanned several research institutions and universities. It was in 1901, while working at the University of Vienna, that he made his most significant contribution—the discovery of different blood groups. Landsteiner’s classification of blood into A, B, AB, and O groups revolutionized blood transfusion by enabling compatibility testing and reducing the risk of transfusion reactions. His work formed the foundation for the ABO blood typing system, still used worldwide today. Landsteiner’s impact extended beyond blood groups; he also conducted research on antibodies and identified the Rh factor. In recognition of his monumental contributions, Landsteiner received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1930, sharing the honor with Alexander S. Wiener. Landsteiner passed away on June 26, 1943, in New York City.
Award and Legacy
Landsteiner was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1932, elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1935, and awarded the Cameron Prize for Therapeutics of the University of Edinburgh in 1937. He was elected a Foreign Member of the Royal Society (ForMemRS) in 1941. In 1946, he was posthumously awarded the Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award. Since 2005, World Blood Donor Day is celebrated on Landsteiner’s birthday anniversary.
His legacy lives on as his discoveries continue to save lives, making blood transfusion safer and advancing our understanding of immunology and autoimmune diseases. Karl Landsteiner is remembered as a pioneer in the field, and his contributions remain celebrated in the scientific community.
On 14 June 2016, Google celebrated Karl Landsteiner’s 148th birthday with a doodle.