Portrait of Emil von Behring

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Emil von Behring

Emil von Behring, German physiologist and physician, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1917)

Born
March 15, 1854
Died
March 31, 1917
Zodiac sign
Pisces
Birth year
1854

About Emil von Behring

Emil von Behring, was a German physiologist. In 1901, he received the first Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for his work on serum therapy, especially its application against diphtheria, by which he has opened a new road in the domain of medical science and thereby placed in the hands of the physician a victorious weapon against illness and deaths". He was widely known as a "saviour of children", as diphtheria used to be a major cause of child death. His work with the disease, as well as tetanus, has come to bring him most of his fame and acknowledgment. He was honoured with Prussian nobility in 1901, henceforth being known by the surname "von Behring". In 1894, Behring was also awarded the Cameron Prize for Therapeutics of the University of Edinburgh. Behring won the first Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1901 for the development of serum therapies against diphtheria. In 1904 he founded the Behringwerke in Marburg, a company to produce antitoxins and vaccines.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Emil von Behring timeline

  1. In 1894, Behring was also awarded the Cameron Prize for Therapeutics of the University of Edinburgh.
  2. Behring won the first Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1901 for the development of serum therapies against diphtheria.
  3. He was honoured with Prussian nobility in 1901, henceforth being known by the surname "von Behring".
  4. In 1904 he founded the Behringwerke in Marburg, a company to produce antitoxins and vaccines.

The world when Emil von Behring was born

Emil von Behring was born in 1854. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1854

  • Best-selling bookWalden by Henry David Thoreau

Headlines and milestones

  • Top headlineKansas-Nebraska Act reignites slavery debate
  • Technology milestoneOtis elevator demonstrated at New York Crystal Palace
  • World population~1.34B

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderFranklin Pierce
  • U.S. population25.7M

1854 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Emil von Behring's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure18542026
Population25.7M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Library of Congress, Wikidata. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

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