History Today: When Louise Brown's birth marked the dawn of IVF

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On July 25, 1978, Louise Joy Brown became the world's first IVF-baby — ushering in a new era of reproductive medicine and giving hope to millions. On this day in 2007, Pratibha Patil became India's first woman president, Mata Hari's espionage trial ends in 1917, and Svetlana Savitskaya made the first female spacewalk in 1984 read more
The world's first 'test tube baby' Britain's Louise Brown, faces the media holding 13 week old twins Antonia and Henry Veary, as Professor Robert Edwards (L) looks on, during 25th anniversary celebrations of the revolutionary fertility treatment 'In Vitro Fertilisation' (IVF) at Bourne Hall in Cambridgeshire, UK, July 26, 2003. File Image/Reuters
As part of Firstpost's _History Today series,_ some of July 25's milestones come across science, politics and space exploration.
In 1978, Louise Joy Brown became the world's first baby born through in vitro fertilisation — a transformative moment that reshaped reproductive medicine.
In 2007, Pratibha Patil was sworn in as the first woman President of India.
On July 25, 1917, dancer-turned-spy Mata Hari was sentenced to death by a French military court.
And in 1984, Soviet cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya became the first woman to walk in space.
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World's first 'test tube' baby born
On July 25, 1978, at 11:47 pm in Oldham General Hospital, Lancashire, England, Louise Joy Brown was born weighing 5 pounds, 12 ounces.
Her birth was unlike any other in human history.
Louise was the world's first baby conceived through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) — an extraordinary scientific breakthrough that not only revolutionised reproductive medicine but also profoundly reshaped cultural and ethical debates surrounding human conception.
This moment marked the culmination of years of pioneering medical research, social controversy, and a fundamental leap in our understanding of fertility science.
The team responsible for this landmark achievement comprised three key figures:
Dr. Patrick Steptoe , a British obstetrician and gynecologist;
Dr. Robert Edwards , a physiologist and embryologist;
And Jean Purdy, a nurse and embryology technician who played a vital, often under-acknowledged role in the daily handling and observation of embryos.
Their collaboration began in the 1960s.
Edwards had long been investigating fertilisation outside the body in laboratory settings, while Steptoe had been developing techniques in laparoscopy, a key method for retrieving eggs from a woman's ovaries.
Purdy meticulously documented and managed embryonic development procedures.
Between 1969 and 1978, the trio worked tirelessly, often facing medical and ethical opposition from peers, the press and political figures.
Over 80 IVF attempts were made during this period without a successful full-term pregnancy.
They also struggled with funding, relying partially on private backers and working in relative isolation from the mainstream medical establishment.
Their persistence paid off in late 1977, when Lesley and John Brown, a working-class couple from Bristol who had been trying to conceive for nine years, agreed to undergo the then-experimental procedure.
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Lesley Brown suffered from blocked fallopian tubes, making natural conception virtually impossible. After reading about Steptoe and Edwards in a magazine, the Browns decided to take a chance.
On November 10, 1977, doctors retrieved a single mature egg from Lesley's ovaries via laparoscopy.
This egg was fertilised with John Brown's sperm in a laboratory petri dish at the Bourn Hall Clinic in Cambridge, then incubated and monitored for proper cell division.
After 2.5 days of development, the embryo was transferred into Lesley's uterus.
There was cautious optimism. The embryo implanted successfully, and for nine months the Browns' pregnancy proceeded normally.
On the night of July 25, a caesarean section was performed due to delivery complications.
Louise Brown was born — healthy, breathing, and utterly ordinary in every respect except for the way she was conceived.
News of Louise's birth generated headlines around the world. Many hailed it as a triumph of modern medicine and human ingenuity.
Others, including religious authorities and some bioethicists, raised serious concerns about the moral implications of creating life outside the womb.
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The Catholic Church, in particular, voiced strong opposition, warning that IVF could lead to the commodification of human life, embryo destruction and a slippery slope toward eugenics.
Others questioned whether children born through IVF would be psychologically or physically different.
Louise Brown herself would later reflect that she grew up 'just like any other kid,' with no physical or psychological differences attributable to her method of conception.
Her birth gradually helped erode stigma and normalise IVF for millions of families around the globe.
Nevertheless, her arrival also brought forward larger ethical questions still debated today: What defines parenthood? Should there be limits to embryo manipulation? What about the fate of unused embryos? And who has access to these expensive treatments?
Despite the controversy, the success of Louise's birth opened the floodgates for further development in assisted reproductive technologies.
By the mid-1980s, IVF clinics were emerging across Europe, the United States and Australia.
In 1981, Elizabeth Carr became the first IVF baby born in the United States.
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Other nations followed rapidly. Techniques improved dramatically: egg retrieval became more precise, embryo freezing more reliable, and implantation methods less invasive.
IVF no longer required natural ovulation cycles; hormonal stimulation could increase the number of retrievable eggs.
By the 1990s, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) was introduced, allowing even severely infertile men to father children by injecting a single sperm directly into an egg.
The cumulative effect was seismic. In the decades following Louise Brown's birth, over 12 million babies have been born worldwide through IVF and related technologies, according to the International Committee Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ICMART).
IVF has become standard practice for treating infertility, enabling same-sex couples and single parents to have biological children.
Countries like Israel and Denmark now fund fertility treatments through public health insurance.
In contrast, access remains limited or prohibitively expensive in many other parts of the world, including parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Despite their groundbreaking work, recognition for the IVF pioneers came slowly. Edwards was eventually awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2010, just three years before his death.
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The world's first 'test tube baby' Britain's Louise Brown (R) listens as Professor Robert Edwards (L) addresses the media during 25th anniversary celebrations of the revolutionary fertility treatment ' In Vitro Fertilization' ( IVF) at Bourne Hall in Cambridgeshire, UK, July 26, 2003. File Image/Reuters
Steptoe passed away in 1988, before Nobel rules allowed posthumous recognition.
Purdy's contributions were marginalised for decades; her name was initially omitted from official plaques and commendations.
In recent years, efforts have been made to restore her role in history.
A commemorative plaque unveiled in 2015 at Bourn Hall Clinic, now a major fertility centre, included her name alongside Edwards and Steptoe.
As for Louise Brown, she has embraced her place in history, living a private life in Bristol, working in administrative roles, and raising two children conceived naturally.
'I was just a baby,' she has often said in interviews.
'It's the doctors who should be remembered.'
The birth of Louise Brown on July 25, 1978, stands as a watershed moment not only in medical science but in human culture. It proved that conception was no longer bound solely by natural fertility.
For millions of individuals and couples who once faced hopelessness, IVF opened new doors — and new definitions of family.
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Pratibha Patil becomes first woman president of India
On July 25, 2007, Pratibha Devisingh Patil was sworn in as India's 12th President, becoming the first woman to hold the office.
A seasoned lawyer and politician, she served as Governor of Rajasthan and as a member of both legislative houses. Her inauguration symbolised a historic milestone for Indian democracy and gender equity.
During her five-year tenure, Patil championed women's education, empowerment and rural development.
India's outgoing President Pratibha Patil waves to photographers at India's presidential palace Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, July 25, 2012. File Image/Reuters
She was a vocal advocate for marginalised communities, promoting inclusive policies and grass-roots engagement across India.
Her election set the stage for broader female political leadership and remains a touchstone in India's journey toward gender equality.
Mata Hari sentenced to death
On July 25, 1917, Margaretha Geertruida Zelle, better known by her stage name Mata Hari, was sentenced to death by a French military court in Paris.
Accused of spying for Germany during World War I, she was convicted in under an hour on flimsy evidence.
Born in the Netherlands, Mata Hari reinvented herself as an exotic dancer in Paris, charming powerful men.
Despite accusations of betrayal and alleged links to German officers, many historians believe she was a scapegoat to channel blame for military setbacks.
Her sensational trial and execution on October 15, 1917, paired with a legacy steeped in myth and mystery, etched her name into cultural history.
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She endures as the archetype of the seductive spy — her story explored in books, films, and historical debate.
Svetlana Savitskaya walks in space
On July 25, 1984, aboard the Salyut 7 space station, Soviet cosmonaut Svetlana Yevgenyevna Savitskaya became the first woman to walk in space, spending approximately 3 hours and 35 minutes outside the station during the Soyuz T-12 mission.
Born in Moscow in 1948, Savitskaya was a celebrated aviator before joining the esteemed ranks of cosmonauts.
Yevgenyevna became the first woman to perform a space walk on July 25, 1984. Image/Russian Space
Already the second woman in space after Valentina Tereshkova, this mission marked a historic leap forward in gender representation in the space programme.
Her EVA featured scientific experiments such as metal cutting and welding, underscoring women's capability in demanding technical roles and paving the way for future female astronauts.
Her achievement remains a milestone in space exploration and women's empowerment in STEM.
With inputs from agencies