Major global developments and medical advancements over the last century

Circle size of medical breakthroughs: impact on mortality. Rollover/touch chart for details.

Medical breakthroughs
Generations
Globalisation
Major world events

Insulin

1922

Penicillin

1928

Pacemaker

1932

Dialysis

1943

Cardiac defibrillator

1947

Diuretics

1950s

Chemotherapy

1950s onwards

Heart transplant

1967

Tumour suppression
gene identified

1969

Smoking cessation trends

1970s onwards

CT scanner

1971

MRI

1979

First HIV treatment (AZT)

1987

Statins

late 1980s

Human genome
sequence

2003

mRNA vaccines

2021

Silent

*1928–1945

Boomers

*1946–1964

Generation X

*1965–1980

Millennials/Generation Y

*1981–1996

Generation Z

*1997–2012

Generation Alpha

*2013–2025

First commercial jet flight

1952

First orbiting satellite

1957

Internet

mid-90s

WW1

1914–1918

Influenza pandemic

1918–1920

The Great Depression

1929–mid-1930s

WW2

1939–1945

Cold War

1947–1989

Energy crisis

1970s

Global
Financial Crisis

2007–2008

COVID-19
pandemic

2020

Medical breakthroughs:

Generations:

Globalisation:

Major world events:

Source: Swiss Re Institute