This Day In History : February 23

1947 Switzerland

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Begins Operations

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) begins operations on February 23, 1947. ISO develops and publishes international standards to ensure quality, safety, efficiency, and interoperability across various industries. Its global impact fosters trade and innovation by creating common standards.

Also on This Day in History February 23

Discover what happened on February 23 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries,
famous births and notable deaths.

Births on This Day, February 23
  • 1951 Shigefumi Mori

    Japanese mathematician who has made important contributions to the field of algebraic geometry.

  • 1914 Robert Joseph Huebner

    American virologist whose theory that certain genes, which he called oncogenes, are involved in cancer focused researchers' attention on finding them.

  • 1879 Agnes Arber

    British botanist (née Robertson) noted chiefly for her studies in comparative anatomy of plants, especially monocotyledons.

  • 1863 Charles Joseph Chamberlain

    U.S. botanist whose major area of research was the cycad genera, palmlike, cone-bearing plants intermediate in appearance and structural features between tree ferns and palms.

  • 1884 Casimir Funk

    Polish-American biochemist who coined the term “vitamine.”

Deaths on This Day, February 23
  • 1944 Leo Hendrik Baekeland

    Leo Henricus Arthur Baekeland was a Belgian-American industrial chemist who invented the first thermosetting plastic, Bakelite, that did not soften when heated.

  • 1917 Jean-Gaston Darboux

    French mathematician whose work on partial differential equations introduced a new method of integration (the Darboux integral) and contributed to infinitesimal geometry.

  • 1908 Friedrich von Esmarch

    German surgeon who was the first to introduce a first-aid kit and triage on the battlefield.

  • 1603 François Viète

    French mathematician who introduced the use of letters for known and unknown quantities as part of his innovations in notation for algebraic equations.

  • 1957 Dr. John F. Mahoney

    American physician who developed penicillin treatment of syphilis.

1987

Supernova

In 1987, supernova 1987A in LMC was first seen. The brightest of the twentieth century, it was the first supernova visible with the naked eye since 1604.
1954

Polio vaccine

In 1954, the first mass inoculation of children against polio with the Salk vaccine began in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
1886

Aluminium isolated

In 1886, Charles M. Hall, a young U.S. chemist, completed his electrolytic process for the separation of aluminum from its bauxite ore, a mere eight months since he graduated from college.
1997

Successful Cloning of Dolly the Sheep Announced

On February 22, 1997, scientists in Roslin, Scotland, reveal Dolly, the first mammal cloned from an adult cell. This historic breakthrough in genetic research demonstrates that adult cells can be reprogrammed to create a new organism. Dolly’s successful cloning advances our understanding of genetic manipulation and cloning technology.
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