November 8, the day Nicolae Paulescu, the Romanian scientist who discovered insulin, was born
On November 8, 1869, doctor Nicolae Paulescu was born in Bucharest, the scientist who discovered insulin and laid the foundations for the modern treatment of diabetes, an internationally recognized contribution.
Nicolae Paulescu was born on November 8, 1869 PHOTO Archive
1847 – Bram Stoker is born
On November 8, 1847, the Irish writer Bram Stoker, best known for his Gothic novel, was born in Dublin Draculapublished in 1897. The work deeply influenced horror literature and the modern image of the vampire.
In addition to his literary work, Stoker was the manager of the Lyceum Theater in London and a close associate of the actor Henry Irving. He wrote several novels and fantasy stories, however Dracula remains his most important contribution to universal culture.
1869 – Nicolae Paulescu is born
On November 8, 1869, the doctor and physiologist Nicolae Paulescu, the discoverer of insulin, was born in Bucharest. In 1921, he published the results of his research on the effect of pancreatic extract on diabetes.
Paulescu obtained the isolation of an active substance which he named “pancreatin”equivalent to the subsequently identified insulin. Although he did not receive the Nobel Prize, his scientific contribution is internationally recognized as fundamental to the treatment of diabetes.
1917 – Lenin publishes the decree on land
On November 8, 1917, in the newspaper Izvestia the decree on land, drafted by Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, was published. The document provided for the confiscation of land belonging to landowners, churches and the state without compensation.
The measure was one of the first major decisions of the Bolshevik government, helping to garner peasant support for the new regime. The decree laid the foundations for Soviet agrarian reform and consolidated Bolshevik control over the countryside.
1935 – Alain Delon is born
On November 8, 1935, the French actor Alain Delon was born in Sceaux. Considered one of the most emblematic figures of European cinema, he became famous in the 60s through roles in films such as Plein Soleil, Rocco and his brothers and Le Samourai.
Delon collaborated with important directors such as Luchino Visconti, Jean-Pierre Melville and Michelangelo Antonioni. He has received numerous awards, including an honorary award at the Cannes Film Festival, throughout his career.
[1945–PNȚandPNLyouthprotestinBucharest
On November 8, 1945, in Bucharest's Royal Palace Square, the PNȚ and PNL youth organized a large anti-communist demonstration, on the occasion of the naming ceremony of King Mihai I. The event was violently repressed by the pro-Soviet authorities.
The protest represented one of the last public expressions of the democratic opposition before the establishment of the communist regime. Many participants were arrested and the historical parties were gradually eliminated from the political scene.
1960 – John F. Kennedy wins the presidential election
On November 8, 1960, John F. Kennedy was elected the 35th President of the United States, defeating Republican Vice President Richard Nixon. The election was one of the closest in US history.
Kennedy became the youngest elected president and the first Catholic in American history to hold the office. His tenure was marked by the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Apollo space program, and the advance of the civil rights movement.
