# Alexander Fleming

_Scottish biologist, pharmacologist, botanist, and Nobel laureate (1881–1955)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/alexander-fleming
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Sir Alexander Fleming (6 August 1881 – 11 March 1955) was a Scottish physician and microbiologist. He shared the 1945 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Howard Florey and Ernst Chain "for the discovery of penicillin and its curative effect in various infectious diseases".

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 6 August 1881 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q37064#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Lochfield ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q37064#P19))
- **Died:** 11 March 1955 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q37064#P570))
- **Place of death:** London ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q37064#P20))
- **Citizenship:** United Kingdom ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q37064#P27))
- **Occupation:** bacteriologist; pharmacologist; physician; surgeon; inventor ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q37064#P106))
- **Education:** Imperial College London; University of Westminster; Kilmarnock Academy; Imperial College School of Medicine; St Mary's Hospital Medical School ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q37064#P69))
- **Spouse:** Amalia Fleming; Sarah Marion McElroy ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q37064#P26))
- **Positions held:** Rector of the University of Edinburgh ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q37064#P39))
- **Awards:** Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine; Knight Bachelor; Actonian Prize; Albert Medal; honorary doctor of the University of Madrid Complutense; honorary doctorate of the University of Graz; Honorary doctor of the University of Liège; Fellow of the Royal Society; Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh; Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh; Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London; Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Alfonso X the Wise; Moxon Medal; Cameron Prize of the University of Edinburgh; Commander of the Legion of Honour ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q37064#P166))

## About

This was the first antibiotic substance discovered. His discovery in 1928 of what was later named benzylpenicillin (or penicillin G) from the mould Penicillium rubens has been described as the "single greatest victory ever achieved over disease".

He also discovered the enzyme lysozyme from his nasal discharge in 1922, and along with it a bacterium he named Micrococcus lysodeikticus, later renamed Micrococcus luteus.

Fleming was knighted for his scientific achievements in 1944. In 1999, he was named in Time magazine's list of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th century. In 2002, he was included in the BBC's television poll of the 100 Greatest Britons, and in 2009, he was also voted third "greatest Scot" in an opinion poll conducted by STV, behind only Robert Burns and William Wallace.

## Questions

**When was Alexander Fleming born?**  
Alexander Fleming was born on 6 August 1881 in Lochfield.

**What positions has Alexander Fleming held?**  
Positions held by Alexander Fleming include: Rector of the University of Edinburgh.

**Where did Alexander Fleming study?**  
Alexander Fleming was educated at Imperial College London, University of Westminster, Kilmarnock Academy, Imperial College School of Medicine.

## Related

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- [Charles Darwin](https://diginpl.com/people/charles-darwin)
- [Ada Lovelace](https://diginpl.com/people/ada-lovelace)
- [Alan Turing](https://diginpl.com/people/alan-turing)
- [Rosalind Franklin](https://diginpl.com/people/rosalind-franklin)
- [Stephen Hawking](https://diginpl.com/people/stephen-hawking)
- [Dorothy Hodgkin](https://diginpl.com/people/dorothy-hodgkin)
- [Jane Goodall](https://diginpl.com/people/jane-goodall)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Alexander Fleming](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Fleming) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikipedia (Nepali): अलेक्जेन्डर फ्लेमिङ](https://ne.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A1%E0%A4%B0_%E0%A4%AB%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%99) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q37064](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q37064) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Synthetic Production of Penicillin TR1468.jpg by Official photographer (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Synthetic_Production_of_Penicillin_TR1468.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Alexander Fleming, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Synthetic Production of Penicillin TR1468.jpg — Official photographer, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Alexander Fleming". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/alexander-fleming. Retrieved 5 November 2026.