The Resume

(August 6, 1881-March 11, 1955)
Credited with the discovery of penicillin (1928)

Why he might be annoying:

He wore bow ties.
While serving in the military during World War I as a medic, he argued against the idea that antibiotics prevented infections.
Before he became famous for his best-known contribution to society, he had a side practice of treating syphilis infections among London artists.
He was the first to discover penicillin, but he discontinued his work on penicillin after his initial discovery, and had no real role in the development of it other then providing other researchers with samples.
Despite discovering one of the greatest drugs in the history of antibiotic research, he didn't think that drugs could cure serious infections.
There is a false urban legend which says Alexander Fleming's father saved a young Winston Churchill from drowning, and therefore, Churchill's father paid for young Alexander Fleming's education.

Why he might not be annoying:

Even though he had little to do with the actual work done on penicillin, he was able to notice a chance occurrence of a mold spore landing on a culture sample with bacteria.
His initial research on penicillin was enough to inspire a team of scientists to mass produce it in time for the late stages of World War II.
His discovery cured many of mankind's most feared scourges, including syphilis, gangrene and tuberculosis, and saved millions of lives.
Upon accepting his Nobel Peace Prize for Medicine in 1945, he humbly said: 'Nature makes penicillin; I just found it.'

Credit: Captain Howdy

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• 20th Century Scientists
• A & E Biographies of the Millennium (Ranked: 36)
• Bow Tie Wearers
• Captain Howdy's Profiles [Series 1]
• Celebrities Born on the Same Date [August] (Ranked: 8061881)
• I Died in 1955 (Ranked: 76)
• Look at Me, I'm Wearing a Bow Tie
• Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine (Ranked: 1945)
• Profiles 10501-10750 (Ranked: 10557)
• Religion's 100 Most Influential People (Ranked: 43)
• Scientists
• Time Magazine's 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century [1998]
• Top 100 Great Britons [BBC, 2002] (Ranked: 20)
• We Died on the Same Day (Ranked: 19550311)

Year In Review:

For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2023, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 8 Votes: 37.50% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 7 Votes: 14.29% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 18 Votes: 55.56% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 16 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 5 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 22 Votes: 54.55% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 75 Votes: 50.67% Annoying
In 2013, Out of 12 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2012, Out of 18 Votes: 27.78% Annoying
In 2011, Out of 14 Votes: 28.57% Annoying
In 2010, Out of 31 Votes: 45.16% Annoying
In 2009, Out of 56 Votes: 39.29% Annoying
In 2008, Out of 43 Votes: 34.88% Annoying
In 2007, Out of 96 Votes: 46.88% Annoying
In 2006, Out of 125 Votes: 43.20% Annoying
In 2005, Out of 294 Votes: 42.18% Annoying
In 2004, Out of 351 Votes: 41.88% Annoying