October 8,1941

Find something that happened on the day that you were born, and write about it.*

 Two events occurred on the day of my birth that reflects both the dark and light side of mankind.  In Eastern Europe the construction of the Concentration Camp Birkenau - "Auschwitz"; British and  American researchers and American pharmaceutical companies met in Washington, DC to devise a plan to mass produce the recently discovered antibiotic, penicillin. Little needs to be said about the darkness of the construction of a facility for the "final solution."

The accidental discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928 showed promise of a new way to combat many life threatening conditions.  It wasn't until February 12, 1941 that the first human was given this wonder drug in England.  The Oxford patient made a remarkable recovery from a fatal infection but died several days later because the production of the antibiotic was to time consuming.  The war effort in England made it impossible to do the required research to mass produce penicillin, hence the request to American ingenuity.  Prior to the meeting on October 8, 1941 most efforts in research and production of penicillin had been conducted by academic and governmental groups.  It was at this meeting that the pharmaceutical companies were asked to have a greater role in producing the new wonder drug. read more

The two event represent choice of will for each one...to create value or destruction.  Which do you choose today?



*Seth Godin