Albert Hofmann

Albert Hofmann was married to Anita and the couple had four children. His wife died in 2007 and one of his children also predeceased him.

He died on April 29, 2008, at the age of 102, due to a heart attack.

Albert Hofmann was born in Baden, Switzerland, on January 11, 1906. He was the eldest of four children. His father was a poor toolmaker in a factory and they lived in a rented apartment. He spent much of his childhood outdoors, and grew up with a very deep connection with nature.

He had mind-blowing experiences in childhood, wherein nature was changed in magical ways that he didn’t understand. These experiences provoked questions in his mind, and chemistry was the scientific field which allowed him to understand them.

He studied chemistry at Zurich University, his main interest being the chemistry of plants and animals. At 23, he earned his PhD with honors.

He took a job with Sandoz Laboratories; he was attracted by their program to produce pharmacological compounds from medicinally important plants.

He first synthesized LSD on November 16, 1938 with an aim to obtain a respiratory and circulatory stimulant. The research was set aside for five years.

He stumbled on LSD again when he was working on the ergot fungus on April 16 1943. He accidentally ate a trace of the compound and came to know about its powerful effects.

On April 19, 1943, he deliberately swallowed a dose of LSD and rode his bicycle home as the effects of the drug engulfed him. That day was remembered by LSD enthusiasts as “bicycle day.”

In 1958, Hofmann discovered ‘ethacetin’, which is an 'intoxicating tryptamine.’

He was the first person to produce, consume, and know the mind-altering effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).