Dmitri Mendeleev presents the first periodic table to the Russian Chemical Society.

Mendeleev’s most significant contribution to science was the periodic table, which he first presented in 1869. At the time, scientists had identified many different chemical elements but struggled to organize them in a meaningful way. Mendeleev proposed a system where the elements were arranged based on their atomic weights and chemical properties.

The key insight of Mendeleev’s periodic table was its periodicity — the recurring pattern of properties as one moves across the rows (periods) and down the columns (groups) of the table. He left gaps in his table for elements that were yet to be discovered, predicting their properties based on the elements surrounding the gaps. This bold move demonstrated the predictive power of his periodic table.

Mendeleev’s periodic table was initially organized by atomic weight, but it was later refined to reflect the modern understanding of atomic structure, which is based on the number of protons in the nucleus (atomic number). Despite this change, Mendeleev’s basic organizational principles remain central to the periodic table used today.

The periodic table has become one of the most important tools in chemistry, providing a systematic way to understand the properties and behavior of elements. It has also been expanded and refined over time as new elements have been discovered and our understanding of atomic structure has advanced.

Mendeleev’s work was groundbreaking not only for its scientific importance but also for its impact on the development of chemistry as a discipline. His periodic table provided a framework for organizing chemical knowledge and laid the groundwork for countless discoveries and advancements in the field. Mendeleev’s contributions to science earned him widespread recognition, and he is regarded as one of the greatest chemists in history.

The Michelangelo computer virus begins to affect computers.

The Michelangelo computer virus is a notorious virus that was first discovered in 1991. It is named after the famous Italian artist Michelangelo, whose birthday falls on March 6th, which is the activation date of the virus. The virus was designed to infect computers running the DOS operating system, which was common at the time.

The Michelangelo virus was spread through infected floppy disks, which were a popular means of transferring data between computers at the time. Once a computer was infected, the virus would remain dormant until March 6th, at which point it would activate and overwrite critical system files, rendering the computer inoperable.

The virus was particularly dangerous because it could spread quickly and cause significant damage to infected systems. Estimates suggest that up to 5 million computers may have been infected with the virus worldwide.

Although the Michelangelo virus is now considered to be a relic of the past, it serves as a reminder of the importance of computer security and the potential risks associated with malware and other types of cyberattacks. Today, there are many sophisticated tools and strategies available to help protect against such threats, including antivirus software, firewalls, and other security measures.

Bayer registers “Aspirin” as a trademark.

The Michelangelo computer virus begins to affect computers.

Bayer registers “Aspirin” as a trademark

[rdp-wiki-embed url=’https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspirin’]

Bayer first registers “Aspirin” as a trademark.

Aspirin is born: March 6, 1899
The Friedrich Bayer & Co., long a German dye manufacturer, ensures its place as a leader in the budding pharmaceutical industry when the Imperial Patent Office in Berlin registers acetylsalicylic acid under the trademark “Aspirin.”

Much earlier in the 19th century, scientists had identified salicylic acid as the ingredient that, for centuries, had made willow bark one of the more popular treatments for pain and fever. But it had a terrible taste and tended to damage a patient’s stomach. In the fall of 1897, however, a chemist in Bayer’s lab named Felix Hoffman had been able to create a stable form of the drug, one that is safer, more palatable and just as importantly, able to be mass produced. Bayer names it Aspirin. As it turned out, Hoffman perfected another drug that same month, one that executives at Bayer felt had much more potential than aspirin. It was a medication designed to be a non-addictive replacement for morphine and marketed to suppress heavy coughs and relieve the pain of childbirth. Bayer named it heroin.

Initially, Aspirin is sold in powder form, a gram at a time, and only through prescriptions. In 1915, though, it becomes available as a pill that can be bought over the counter. A few years later, a devastating flu pandemic starts spreading around the world, sending sales of Aspirin skyrocketing. After World War I, however, Bayer is forced to sell its overseas properties as part of Germany’s war reparations, and Bayer loses its trademark. Aspirin becomes the more generic aspirin.

Another chapter of the aspirin story unfolded after World War II, in 1949, three years after Hoffman’s death. Arthur Eichengrun, a more senior scientist at Bayer when Hoffman made his discovery, released a paper saying that Hoffman had been working under his direction and that he, Eichengrun, had pushed senior executives at the company to support aspirin. The speculation was that Eichengrun was not given credit for his role in the development of aspirin because he was Jewish. During World War II, he had spent a year and a half in a concentration camp. As recently as 1999, a research paper supported Eichengrun’s story, but Bayer has stuck with the version in which Hoffman is aspirin’s sole creator.

Aspirin’s dominance as an over-the-counter painkiller began to fade in the 1960s, particularly when ibuprofen hit the market. But it began a comeback the next decade when clinical trials showed that aspirin could lower the risk of strokes and heart attacks and doctors began recommending an aspirin a day as wise preventive medicine.

Bayer first registers “Aspirin” as a trademark.

On 6 March 1899, the Imperial Patent Office in Berlin registers Aspirin, the brand name for acetylsalicylic acid, on behalf of the German pharmaceutical company Friedrich Bayer & Co.

Now the most common drug in household medicine cabinets, acetylsalicylic acid was originally made from a chemical found in the bark of willow trees. In its primitive form, the active ingredient, salicin, was used for centuries in folk medicine, beginning inancient Greece when Hippocrates used it to relieve pain and fever. Known to doctors since the mid-19thcentury, it was used sparingly due to its unpleasant taste and tendency to damage the stomach.

In 1897, Bayer employee Felix Hoffman found a way to create a stable form of the drug that was easier and more pleasant to take. After obtaining the patent rights, Bayer began distributing aspirin in powder form to physicians to give to their patients one gram at a time. The brand name came from “a” for acetyl, “spir” from the spirea plant and the suffix “in,” commonly used for medications. It quickly became the number-one drug worldwide.

Aspirin was made available in tablet form and without a prescription in 1915. Two years later, when Bayer’s patent expired during the First World War, the company lost the trademark rights to aspirin in various countries. After the United States entered the war against Germany in April 1917, the Alien Property Custodian, a government agency that administers foreign property, seized Bayer’s U.S. assets. Two years later, the Bayer company name and trademarks for the United States and Canada were auctioned off and purchased by Sterling Products Company, later Sterling Winthrop, for $5.3 million.

Bayer became part of IG Farben, the conglomerate of German chemical industries that formed the financial heart of the Nazi regime. After World War II, the Allies split apart IG Farben, and Bayer again emerged as an individual company. Its purchase of Miles Laboratories in 1978 gave it a product line including Alka-Seltzer and Flintstones and One-A-Day Vitamins. In 1994, Bayer bought Sterling Winthrop’s over-the-counter business, gaining back rights to the Bayer name and logo and allowing the company once again to profit from American sales of its most famous product.

The drug company Bayer registers “Aspirin” as a trademark.

The Michelangelo computer virus starts affecting computers worldwide.