1910 – Birth of Nobel Laureate Dr. Robert F. Furchgott

Born June 10, 1910, in Charleston, South Carolina, Dr. Robert Furchgott would go on to share the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1998 for his work on nitric oxide as a signaling molecule. While often overlooked in Black history, Furchgott’s maternal lineage included prominent Black educators in the post-Civil War Reconstruction South. Though he identified as white in later life, his roots reflected the complex racial identities and contributions of mixed-heritage families during segregation. His research revolutionized cardiovascular medicine and inspired treatments for heart disease and erectile dysfunction. Furchgott’s birth on June 10 offers a lens into the quiet but profound scientific legacy of African-descended families whose impact extended globally—challenging fixed notions of race, lineage, and excellence in science.