1953–1973 · Europe · Science
Work on DNA’s double helix, the genetic code and molecular tools connected heredity to physical molecules that could be read and manipulated.
Atlas dossier · Cold War & DecolonizationFree device narration · synchronized English captions · transcript available
Why it matters
Work on DNA’s double helix, the genetic code and molecular tools connected heredity to physical molecules that could be read and manipulated.
Rosalind Franklin · James Watson · Francis Crick · Maurice Wilkins · molecular biologists
Molecular biology transformed medicine, agriculture and identity while raising questions about ownership, privacy and biological power.
Interpretation note
This dossier distinguishes the event’s basic chronology from later arguments about meaning, responsibility and legacy. When comparing religious, national, Indigenous or scholarly interpretations, consult the primary and institutional sources above alongside peer-reviewed historical work.
Elsewhere in the world
1954–1984 · AmericasOrgan transplantation and immunosuppressionSuccessful kidney transplantation, improved surgical practice and immunosuppressive medicines gradually made replacement of failing organs a realistic clinical option.
1954–2021 · GlobalRenewable electricity and the energy transitionSolar cells, wind turbines, power electronics and grid technologies steadily turned renewable energy from specialist experiments into a major part of electricity systems.
1955–1961 · GlobalBandung and the Non-Aligned MovementLeaders from newly independent Asian and African states met at Bandung in 1955 and later established the Non-Aligned Movement, seeking anti-colonial cooperation and room for independent action amid Cold War rivalry.