1963

1963 in medicine refers to the significant medical events, discoveries, and advancements that occurred in the year 1963.

Events

• On January 11, the first polio vaccination was administered in the United States. This marked a significant milestone in the fight against poliomyelitis.
• In July, the American Heart Association became the first major health organization to issue a report linking smoking and heart disease.
• The World Health Organization launched an intensive global smallpox eradication campaign.

Discoveries

• James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of the structure of DNA.
• The measles vaccine was licensed in the United States, marking a significant advancement in the prevention of the disease.

Advancements

• The first liver transplant was performed by Dr. Thomas Starzl at the University of Colorado.
• The artificial heart was used for the first time in a human patient.

Births

• Elizabeth Blackburn, Australian-American biologist and Nobel laureate, was born. She is known for her work on telomeres and telomerase.

Deaths

• Carl Jung, Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology, died.

1963 Resources
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