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⁾