Frederick Banting

Imagine a world where children with diabetes often grew weaker and died young — then Frederick Banting discovered a medicine that changed everything.

Frederick G. Banting (1891–1941) was a Canadian doctor in the early 20th century. His most important discovery was insulin, a natural hormone that acts like a key, letting sugar move from the blood into cells so the body can use it for energy.

In 1921 Banting worked in a small lab at the University of Toronto with medical student Charles Best and others. They learned how to extract and purify insulin from the pancreas. In 1922 doctors gave insulin to the first human patient, Leonard Thompson, and his health improved dramatically.

For this work Banting received the 1923 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine; he shared it with John Macleod and gave his prize money to Charles Best. Their discovery turned diabetes from a likely death sentence into a treatable condition, and insulin began to be produced more widely.

Banting continued medical research and teaching until he died in a plane crash in 1941 while on duty. Today millions of people still depend on insulin. Hospitals, museums like Banting House, and doctors around the world remember him because his discovery saved and improved countless lives.