Discover the Top 11 Fun Facts About Alexander Fleming: Uncover the Genius Behind Penicillin and More!

1. Microscopic Michelangelo

Before he took the world by "strep" with his "a-mould-able" discovery, Alexander Fleming was quite the "draw-gonaut" in the realm of bacteria and germs: This Renaissance man of the microscopic world was an accomplished artist who used his skills to accurately illustrate his scientific findings with detailed drawings of bacteria and other wee beasties, undoubtedly helping him spot his game-changing penicillin mould!
Source => sciencemuseum.org.uk

2. Sharpshooter Surgeon

Before becoming the "Penicillin Picasso", Alexander Fleming was quite the sharpshooter and nearly made a career out of surgically removing bullseyes instead: He was a renowned marksman in the London Scottish Regiment of the Territorial Army and was convinced by his rifle club captain at St Mary's medical school to choose research over surgery in order to continue representing the club, ultimately leading to his miraculous discovery of penicillin.
Source => ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

🍻 Did you know Louis Pasteur's genius made it possible for beer to be stored at room temperature for up to 120 days? Cheers to that! 🍻

=> Fun Facts about Louis-Pasteur

3. War Hospital Wonder-Mold

Did you hear about the mold that walked into a World War II hospital and cured everyone? No joke, folks: Alexander Fleming's accidental discovery of penicillin's antibacterial properties from a humble mold paved the way for its development into a life-saving antibiotic, fighting infections and taming resistant diseases like syphilis and gonorrhea among troops during the war.
Source => historynet.com

4. Genius in the Mess

In a case of "a cluttered desk is a sign of genius," Alexander Fleming's messiness turned out to be just what the doctor ordered: His discovery of penicillin was a serendipitous accident when a stray bacteria particle drifted onto a moldy petri dish on his untidy workspace, leading to the revelation that mold could kill bacteria and ultimately revolutionizing medicine.
Source => wfyi.org

5. Great British Bacteria Off Champion

If Alexander Fleming were a contestant on "The Great British Bacteria Off," he'd surely rise to the occasion like a flawless sourdough starter, winning over the judges with his mold-breaking discovery: Fleming, who was knighted for his ace antibiotic-find called penicillin, was ranked third in a poll for the "greatest Scot" and named as one of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th century by Time Magazine, solidifying his status as a real-life, crusading-for-cures superhero.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

6. Laughter vs. Penicillin Showdown

They say laughter is the best medicine, but Alexander Fleming was out here providing stiff competition: his discovery of penicillin not only led to a 95% reduction in syphilis cases in the UK between 1946 and 1955, but also transformed healthcare systems and made widespread screening and control measures more accessible.
Source => ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

7. Bookworm of Bacteria

While many bookworms get lost in the pages of fantasy and fiction, Alexander Fleming found delight in scouring tomes of a different nature, creating a library that was the envy of both Hogwarts and the Library of Alexandria: This revered scientist not only discovered penicillin, but was also an avid collector of rare books on scientific milestones, lending a whopping forty-four tomes to the "Printing and the Mind of Man" exhibit, and even founding and investing in the scholarly quarterly, "The Book Collector."
Source => blog.library.si.edu

8. Leprechaun Lectures and Lady Fleming

Escorted by the original penicillin-pinching partner-in-crime, Lady Fleming, Sir Alexander ventured into the land of shamrocks and leprechauns to spread the good word of bacteria-busting: During his 1944 visit to Belfast, Alexander Fleming delivered his first lecture on penicillin outside London to the Ulster Medical Society, with the honorable Lady Fleming by his side to save the day when presentation slides went missing. This remarkable duo's adventures continued as Queen's University awarded Fleming an honorary Doctor of Science degree in 1946.
Source => ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

9. Agar Art Aficionado

When life gave Alexander Fleming microbes, he made microbial masterpieces: The eminent discoverer of penicillin nurtured his artistic side by painting with different species of microbes on agar plates, creating unique and intricate artworks that required a high level of skills to execute.
Source => smithsonianmag.com

10. Lion and Petri Dish Bromance

You might say Winston Churchill and Alexander Fleming's relationship was as close as a lion and a petri dish: While it's a common misconception that Fleming's penicillin saved Churchill's life, Sir Winston actually triumphed over a severe bout of pneumonia with the help of a sulfadiazine drug produced by May and Baker Pharmaceuticals. However, Churchill did receive some fatherly advice from Fleming on handling a staphylococcal matter in 1946, though no subsequent buddy comedy movie materialized from this interaction.
Source => winstonchurchill.hillsdale.edu

11. Accidental Mold Miracle

Talk about being "sick and mold" – that's precisely what happened to Alexander Fleming when he stumbled upon a life-saving discovery: While on his quest to cure influenza, Fleming accidentally found a moldy petri dish with bacteria, and thus the miracle drug penicillin was unveiled in 1928.
Source => acs.org