This Day in History: July 19, 1923
Additional Date: July 19, 1923
Insulin was discovered by Frederick G. Banting in 1921. Banting was working with J.J.R. Macleod and Charles Best in the University of Toronto in Canada. Both Banting and Macleod were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their work, while Best was excluded, a decision the Nobel Peace Prize committee subsequently regretted.
On 19 July 1923, insulin was introduced to the public. It had taken two years of trials before it was deemed safe enough for the public. Insulin is still used all over the world today to especially treat type 1 diabetes. South Africa has over 6.5 million people living with the disease.