Edward Jenner was born on May 17, 1749, in Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England.¹⁾

He started his medical training at the age of 14 as an apprentice to a surgeon.²⁾

Jenner studied at St George's Hospital in London under the renowned surgeon John Hunter.³⁾

Apart from being a physician, Jenner was also a keen naturalist.⁴⁾

He spent most of his career as a country doctor in his hometown of Berkeley.⁵⁾

Jenner noticed that milkmaids who contracted cowpox did not catch smallpox.⁶⁾

In 1796, Jenner performed his famous experiment by inoculating James Phipps, an 8-year-old boy, with cowpox.⁷⁾

Phipps did not develop smallpox, proving Jenner's hypothesis that cowpox conferred immunity to smallpox.⁸⁾

The term “vaccine” is derived from “Variolae vaccinae” (smallpox of the cow), reflecting Jenner's work with cowpox.⁹⁾

Jenner published his findings in 1798 in a work titled “An Inquiry into the Causes and Effects of the Variolae Vaccinae”.¹⁰⁾

Jenner faced significant skepticism and opposition from the medical community initially.¹¹⁾

His work was initially rejected by the Royal Society, the leading scientific institution at the time.¹²⁾

Despite early opposition, Jenner’s vaccine gradually gained acceptance and acclaim.¹³⁾

Jenner did not patent his discovery; he wanted it to be freely available to all.¹⁴⁾

The British royal family supported Jenner’s vaccination efforts, helping to popularize it.¹⁵⁾

Jenner’s work paved the way for the eventual eradication of smallpox in 1980.¹⁶⁾

He received honorary degrees from universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, and Harvard.¹⁷⁾

The British government awarded Jenner £10,000 in 1802 and another £20,000 in 1807 for his contributions.¹⁸⁾

Jenner established the Jennerian Institution in London to promote vaccination.¹⁹⁾

Jenner is often called the “father of immunology.”²⁰⁾

Statues of Jenner can be found in various places, including Gloucester Cathedral and Kensington Gardens in London.²¹⁾

Jenner maintained correspondence with many leading scientists of his time.²²⁾

He married Catherine Kingscote in 1788 and had four children.²³⁾

Jenner himself was inoculated against smallpox as a child, which was the standard practice before his vaccine.²⁴⁾

Before Jenner’s vaccine, smallpox was a leading cause of death worldwide.²⁵⁾

Jenner’s work influenced other scientists, leading to the development of vaccines for other diseases.²⁶⁾

Jenner’s vaccine was one of the first medical technologies to spread internationally in peacetime.²⁷⁾

Edward Jenner is buried in the parish churchyard of Berkeley, Gloucestershire.²⁸⁾

Despite his fame, Jenner continued to work as a local doctor in Berkeley until his death.²⁹⁾

Jenner’s work highlighted the concept of zoonotic diseases, which are transmitted from animals to humans.³⁰⁾

Jenner’s work replaced the older practice of variolation, which involved using smallpox material to induce immunity.³¹⁾

The cow from which Jenner took the cowpox virus was named Blossom; her hide is displayed in St George's Hospital library.³²⁾

The house where Jenner lived and worked is now the Edward Jenner Museum.³³⁾

Jenner became a national hero in Britain for his life-saving discovery.³⁴⁾

Napoleon, the French emperor, ordered his troops to be vaccinated, despite being at war with Britain.³⁵⁾

Jenner’s methods spread rapidly across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.³⁶⁾

Jenner was a follower of the Enlightenment, believing in science and reason.³⁷⁾

He had an interest in botany and classified several plant species.³⁸⁾

Jenner also collected fossils and made contributions to the field of geology.³⁹⁾

He was a devout Christian and saw his work as part of God’s plan.⁴⁰⁾

His wife, Catherine, died in 1815, which deeply affected Jenner.⁴¹⁾

Edward Jenner died on January 26, 1823, at the age of 73.⁴²⁾

Louis Pasteur, who developed vaccines for rabies and anthrax, was inspired by Jenner’s work.⁴³⁾

Jenner’s vaccination principles are the foundation of modern immunization programs.⁴⁴⁾

In 2002, Jenner was named one of the 100 Greatest Britons in a BBC poll.⁴⁵⁾