Jonas Salk (October 28, 1914-June 23, 1995)

Jonas Salk was an American physician and medical researcher who developed the first safe and effective vaccine for polio. Until 1957, when the Salk vaccine was introduced, polio was considered one of the most frightening public health threats in the world. Salk launched his own research organization known as the Salk Center for Biological Studies in 1963. He will always be remembered as the man who stopped polio.