Alexander Fleming

New Capabilities

Deceased (1881-1955)

For most of human history, the average person could expect to live about 30 years. Two centuries of accumulated advances—clean water, sanitation, vaccines, antibiotics, nutrition, and poverty reduction—have more than doubled that figure to 72 years globally. The change is so comprehensive that the global average today exceeds what the healthiest country achieved in 1950.

Updated May 22