Where does this come from, and can I check it?

Accidental mould contamination in 1928 led to the world's first true antibiotic. The figure is taken from Encyclopaedia Britannica, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a history fact?

Yes. It sits on the History shelf, one of 1,090 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in his London laboratory

Accidental mould contamination in 1928 led to the world's first true antibiotic

In September 1928, Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming noticed that Penicillium mould contaminating a staphylococci culture plate had destroyed nearby bacteria. His serendipitous finding led to the development of mass-produced penicillin, transforming medicine and saving millions of lives from bacterial infections.

Nobel prize medal for medicine, Sweden, 1945, to Sir Alexander Fleming (1881-1955) who discovered Penicillin. On display at the National Museum of Scotland — Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · licence · source

Where this comes from

Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

Go further

History trivia Science trivia

More facts like this

Smallpox became the first human disease officially eradicatedThe World Health Organization certified global eradication of smallpox in 1980 Nitrous oxide acts as a mild inhalation anestheticLaughing gas alters neurochemical signaling to relieve pain and induce euphoria The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor drew the US into World War IIJapanese aircraft attacked the Pacific Fleet in Hawaii on 7 December 1941 Allied forces landed on Normandy beaches on D-DayOperation Overlord launched the naval invasion of Nazi-occupied France in June 1944 Fifty nations signed the United Nations Charter in San FranciscoThe international organization was established in 1945 to prevent global conflicts The Partition of India created two independent nations in 1947British rule ended with the division of the subcontinent into India and Pakistan

Tags: penicillin, fleming, medicine

Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in his London laboratory: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: Accidental mould contamination in 1928 led to the world's first true antibiotic. The figure is taken from Encyclopaedia Britannica, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a history fact?: Yes. It sits on the History shelf, one of 1,090 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.