Who discovered penicillin?

The discovery of penicillin is attributed to Alexander Fleming, who made this significant finding in 1928. Fleming was a bacteriologist at St. Mary's Hospital in London when he observed that a mold, later identified as Penicillium notatum, was capable of killing a wide range of bacteria. This accidental discovery occurred when he noticed that the area surrounding the mold was free from bacterial growth on one of his petri dishes.

Fleming's work laid the groundwork for the development of penicillin as the world's first antibiotic, transforming medicine and treating bacterial infections effectively. This discovery had a profound impact on public health, especially during World War II, when penicillin was used to treat infected wounds and prevent infections in soldiers.

The other individuals mentioned made substantial contributions to science and medicine, but their work did not involve the discovery of penicillin. Marie Curie is known for her research on radioactivity, Louis Pasteur is famous for his developments in germ theory and vaccination, and Edward Jenner is recognized for creating the smallpox vaccine.