Ever gotten a vaccine shot? Do you drink caffeinated soda or wear blue jeans?
Most of us take for granted the breakthrough science and technology that gave us these everyday luxuries. If you've ever wondered where they came from, you're about to find out.
In celebration of National Chemistry Week, we put together a list of chemists whose discoveries have completely changed our lives.
From plastic to soda water and artificial sweetener, here are 15 notable chemistry discoveries you should be thankful for.
Louis Pasteur created the first vaccine.
If you've ever had a vaccine shot, you can thank Pasteur, whose breakthrough discoveries prevented diseases and saved lives all over the world.
In the 19th century, the French chemist's work in germ theory led to vaccinations for anthrax and rabies. Pasteur became widely recognized in 1885 when he vaccinated Joseph Meister, a 9-year-old boy who had been bitten by a rabid dog.
After coming up with the process of pasteurization, where bacteria are killed by heating beverages and then allowing them to cool, Pasteur saved the beer, wine, and silk industries in France.
Pierre Jean Robiquet discovered caffeine.
Aside from isolating caffeine in 1821, French chemist Robiquet also identified the properties of codeine, which is a powerful molecule used in medicine as a cough suppressant and analgesic drug.
During his lifetime, Robiquet made significant contributions to science with various discoveries of natural products.
Ira Remsen developed the first artificial sweetener.
A former president of Johns Hopkins University, Remsen is credited with the discovery of the popular artificial sweetener known as saccharin. Today, saccharin is widely used in the U.S., sweetening everything from diet soft drinks to toothpaste.
Remsen first synthesized the substance in 1878 while working with his postdoctoral colleague, Constantine Fahlberg. As the story goes, Remsen was uninterested in the practical application of saccharin, but Fahlberg was eager to capitalize on the commercial potential and rushed to obtain a patent for saccharin. Fahlberg then attempted to take all the credit for the discovery, a move that didn't sit too well with his colleague.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider