1860sGeneral sourceWell documented
Pasteur proves germ theory
On the timeline · around 1860s ·
What happened
Louis Pasteur's experiments showed microorganisms cause fermentation and disease — not spontaneous generation — and led to pasteurization.
Why it matters
Reframed disease around invisible microbes, founding microbiology and modern public health.
Sources
- Institut Pasteur. History of the Institut Pasteur · General source