Anniversary of the Double Helix Discovery

Today marks the 55th anniversary of the announcement of the discovery of the double-helix structure of DNA. The announcement was made at a lunchtime meeting on Saturday, February 28, 1953, and the official paper was published in April. That discovery marked one of the most significant advancements of the twentieth century, allowing major leaps in our understanding of the mechanisms of genetics and evolution. The journal Nature and the New York Times both put up excellent collections of articles up in honor of the 50th anniversary a few years ago, these are worth checking out today, and you can even play the double helix game. The story of the discovery is full of intriguing characters, events, and controversies, and the field of genetics is still advancing on a daily basis.

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