Who Saved the Most Lives in History?!
We created Scienceheroes.com to find out who did save the most lives. Worldwide, most of us now live longer lives with much less suffering due to the brilliance and hard work of the 102 scientists chronicled here, whose insights led to 56 lifesaving discoveries! Join us in expressing our gratitude by reading their compelling stories.
#   Name Discovery # of Lives Saved
1 ThumbBoschCarl Carl Bosch Synthetic Nitrogen Fertilizer Engineered 2,300,000,000
2 ThumbHaberFritz Fritz Haber Synthetic Nitrogen Fertilizer Method 2,300,000,000
3 ThumbLandsteinerKarl Karl Landsteiner Blood Groups Leading to Blood Transfusions 1,100,000,000
4 ThumbLewisohnRichard Richard Lewisohn Blood Storage Leading to Blood Transfurions 1,100,000,000
5 ThumbBorlaugNorman Norman Borlaug Green Revolution - High Yield Wheat 245,000,000
6 ThumbFloreyHoward Howard Florey Penicillin to Cure Bacterial Diseases 203,000,000
7 ThumbChainErnst Ernst Chain Penicillin to Cure Bacterial Diseases 203,000,000
8 ThumbHeatleyNorman Norman Heatley Penicillin to Cure Bacterial Diseases 203,000,000
9 ThumbFlemingAlexander Alexander Fleming Penicillin to Cure Bacterial Diseases 203,000,000
10 ThumbBantingFredrick Frederick Banting Insulin for Diabetes 200,000,000
11 ThumbBestCharles Charles Best Insulin for Diabetes 200,000,000
12 ThumbCollipJames James Collip Insulin for Diabetes 200,000,000
13 ThumbMacleodJohn John Macleod Insulin for Diabetes 200,000,000
14 ThumbWolmanAbel Abel Wolman Safe Water by Calculated Chorination 177,000,000
15 ThumbEnslowLinn Linn Enslow Safe Water by Calculated Chorination 177,000,000
16 ThumbEndersJohn John Enders Polio and Measles Vaccines 131,000,000
17 ThumbHillemanMaurice Maurice Hilleman Measles Vaccine 130,000,000
18 ThumbKatzSamuel Samuel Katz Measles Vaccine 130,000,000
19 ThumbHollowayAnn Ann Holloway Measles Vaccine 130,000,000
20 ThumbMcCarthyKevin Kevin McCarthy Measles Vaccine 130,000,000
21 ThumbMilovanovicMilan Milan Milovanovic Measles Vaccine 130,000,000
22 ThumbMitusAnna Anna Mitus Measles Vaccine 130,000,000
23 ThumbPeeblesThomas Thomas Peebles Measles Vaccine 130,000,000
24 ThumbFoegeBill William Foege Smallpox Eradication / 6% Vaccination Method 122,000,000
25 ThumbCollierLeslie Leslie Collier Smallpox Eradication / Improved Vaccine 122,000,000
26 ThumbRubinBenjamin Benjamin Rubin Smallpox Eradication / Bifurcated Needle 122,000,000
27 ThumbIsmachAaron Aaron Ismach Smallpox Eradication / Ped-o-Jet Vaccinator 122,000,000
 
#   Name Discovery # of Lives Saved
28 ThumbSensiPiero Piero Sensi TB Curing Drug Rifampicin 75,000,000
29 ThumbRamonGaston Gaston Ramon Diphtheria and Tetanus Vaccines 72,000,000
30 ThumbNalinDavid David Nalin ORT for Cholera and Diarrhea 57,500,000
31 ThumbCashRichard Richard Cash ORT for Cholera and Diarrhea 57,500,000
32 ThumbHirschhornNorbert Norbert Hirschhorn ORT for Cholera and Diarrhea 57,500,000
33 ThumbSacharDavid David Sachar ORT for Cholera and Diarrhea 57,500,000
34 ThumbPhillipsRobert Robert Phillips ORT for Cholera and Diarrhea 57,500,000
35 ThumbBlackJames James Black Blood Pressure Lowering Beta Blocker Drug 55,000,000
36 ThumbCushmanDavid David Cushman Blood Pressure Lowering ACE Inhibitor Drug 55,000,000
37 ThumbOndettiMiguel Miguel Ondetti Blood Pressure Lowering ACE Inhibitor Drug 55,000,000
38 ThumbGruntzigAndreas Andreas Gruentzig Balloon Angioplasty to Widen Arteries 52,000,000
39 ThumbStybloKarel Karel Styblo TB Curing DOTS Protocol 50,000,000
40 ThumbZoellerChristian Christian Zoeller Tetanus Vaccine 37,000,000
41 ThumbMullerPaul Paul Müller DDT Insecticide to Prevent Malaria 37,000,000
42 ThumbEndoAkira Akira Endo Statins Averting Heart Attacks & Strokes 26,000,000
43 ThumbKeysAncel Ancel Keys Linked Cholesterol to Heart Attacks 26,000,000
44 ThumbJudeJames James Jude CPR 25,000,000
45 ThumbElamJames James Elam CPR 25,000,000
46 ThumbKnickerbockerGuy Guy Knickerbocker CPR 25,000,000
47 ThumbKouwenhovenWilliam William Kouwenhoven CPR 25,000,000
48 ThumbSafarPeter Peter Safar CPR 25,000,000
49 ThumbSommerAl Al Sommer Vitamin A Cuts Child Mortality 23,000,000
50 ThumbGreatbatchWilson Wilson Greatbatch Implantable Pacemaker with Lithium Battery 22,500,000
51 ThumbMontagnierLuc Luc Montagnier Discovered HIV Retrovirus Causes AIDS 22,000,000
52 ThumbBarre sinoussiFrancoise Francoise Barre-Sinoussi Discovered HIV Retrovirus Causes AIDS 22,000,000
53 ThumbBelleauBernard Bernard Belleau HIV Curing Drug 3TC 22,000,000
54 HorwitzJeromeHORWITZ Jerome Horwitz HIV Curing Drug AZT 22,000,000
55 ThumbOstertagWolfram Wolfram Ostertag HIV Curing Drug AZT 22,000,000
56 ThumbScribnerBelding Belding Scribner Scribner Shunt Making Kidney Dialysis Routine 17,500,000
57 ThumbKolffWillem Willem Kolff Kidney Dialysis Machine 17,500,000
58 ThumbBlumbergBaruch Baruch Blumberg Hepatitis B Vaccine 15,000,000
59 ThumbMillmanIrving Irving Millman Hepatitis B Vaccine 15,000,000
60 ThumbMurrayKenneth Kenneth Murray Recombinant Hepatitis B Vaccine 15,000,000
61 ThumbKarikoKatalin Katalin Kariko mRNA Vaccine for COVID 14,000,000
62 ThumbWeissmanDrew Drew Weismann mRNA Vaccine for COVID 14,000,000
63 ThumbKenrickPearl Pearl Kendrick Whooping Cough Vaccine 13,000,000
64 ThumbElderingGrace Grace Eldering Whooping Cough Vaccine 13,000,000
65 ThumbBriend Andre Briend Plumpy'Nut for Childhood Malnutrition 12,000,000
66 ThumbBohlinNils Nils Bohlin 3-Point Seat Belt 12,000,000
67 ThumbPapanicolaousGeorge Georgios Papanikolaou Pap Smear to Cure Cervical Cancer 12,000,000
68 ThumbBabesAurel Aurel Babes Pap Smear to Cure Cervical Cancer 12,000,000
69 ThumbTrautHerbert Herbert Traut Pap Smear to Cure Cervical Cancer 12,000,000
70 ThumbWarrenStafford Stafford Warren Mammography Curing Breast Cancer 12,000,000
71 ThumbLeborgneRaul Raul Leborgne Mammography Curing Breast Cancer 12,000,000
72 ThumbEganRobert Robert Egan Mammography Curing Breast Cancer 12,000,000
73 ThumbFrancisThomas Thomas Francis, Jr. Influenza Vaccine 10,000,000
74 ThumbSonesMason F. Mason Sones Coronary Angiograms for Heart Bypass Surgery 10,000,000
75 ThumbGoetzRobert Robert Goetz Heart Bypass Surgery 10,000,000
76 ThumbElionGertrude Gertrude Elion Leukemia and Gout Curing Drugs 7,000,000
77 ThumbHitchingsGeorge George Hitchings Leukemia and Gout Curing Drugs 7,000,000
78 ThumbCravenLawrence Lawrence Craven Aspirin for Preventing Heart Attacks 7,000,000
79 ThumbGibsonPaul Paul Gibson Aspirin for Preventing Heart Attacks 7,000,000
80 ThumbHennekensCharles Charles Hennekens Aspirin for Preventing Heart Attacks 7,000,000
81 ThumbAndersonPorter Porter Anderson Hib Influenzae Vaccine 5,000,000
82 ThumbSmitihDavid David Smith Hib Influenzae Vaccine 5,000,000
83 ThumbRobbinJohn John Robbins Hib Influenzae Vaccine 5,000,000
84 ThumbSchneersonRachel Rachel Schneerson Hib Influenzae Vaccine 5,000,000
85 ThumbAveryMaryEllen Mary Ellen Avery Surfactant for Infants' Lungs 4,000,000
86 ThumbClementsJohn John Clements Surfactant for Infants' Lungs 4,000,000
87 ThumbFujiwaraTetsuro Tetsuro Fujiwara Surfactant for Infants' Lungs 4,000,000
88 ThumbTheilerMax Max Theiler Yellow Fever Vaccine 1,600,000
89 ThumbSalkJonas Jonas Salk Polio Vaccine 1,600,000
90 ThumbSabinAlbert Albert Sabin Polio Vaccine 1,600,000
91 ThumbRobbinsFrederick Frederick Robbins Polio Vaccine 1,600,000
92 ThumbWellerThomas Thomas Weller Polio Vaccine 1,600,000
93 ThumbWienerAlexander Alexander Wiener Rh Incompatible Blood in Infants and Mothers 1,500,000
94 ThumbFinnRonald Ronald Finn Rh Incompatible Blood in Infants and Mothers 1,500,000
95 ThumbTaussigHelen Helen Taussig Blue Baby Syndrome Surgery 1,000,000
96 ThumbThomasVivien Vivien Thomas Blue Baby Syndrome Surgery 1,000,000
97 ThumbBlalockalfred Alfred Blalock Blue Baby Syndrome Surgery 1,000,000
98 ThumbStarlzThomas Thomas Starlz Kidney Transplants 1,000,000
99 ThumbHeimlichHenry Henry Heimlich Heimlich Maneuver for Choking 600,000
100 ThumbDrukerBrian Brian Druker Leukemia Curing Drug (CML) 500,000
101 ThumbLydonNicholas Nicholas Lydon Leukemia Curing Drug (CML) 500,000
102 ThumbSawyersCharles Charles Sawyer Leukemia Curing Drug (CML) 500,000
 
Grand Total of Lives Saved from 56 Lifesaving Discoveries 5,102,300,000


Website and Numbers Updated in 2025.