Blood Timeline

  • 2500 BCE

    2500 B.C.

    2500 B.C.
    Egyptians used bloodletting to try to cure diseases
  • 500 BCE

    500 B.C.

    500 B.C.
    Greeks distinguished between arteries and veins
  • 1659 A.D.

    1659 A.D.
    Anton van Leeuwenhoek viewed blood cells under a microscope
  • 1795

    1795
    First blood transfusion performed
  • 1901

    1901
    Karl Landsteiner discovered three blood types: A, B, O
  • 1902

    1902
    Alfred Decastello discovered fourth blood type: AB
  • 1922

    1922
    Percy Oliver established the first blood donor service
  • 1935

    1935
    Mayo Clinic developed a method to store blood for transfusions
  • 1937

    1937
    Dr. Bernard Fantus established the first blood bank
  • 1940

    1940
    Karl Landsteiner discovered the Rh protein
  • 1959

    1959
    First case of AIDS recorded in the Congo
  • 1984

    1984
    Robert Gallo identified the virus causing AIDS
  • 1985

    1985
    Development of ELISA test to screen for diseases such as HIV
  • 1987

    1987
    Scientists began developing blood-screening tests for infectious diseases