William Osler
Born 1849 · Age 176
Canadian physician, founding professor of Johns Hopkins Hospital, creator of the modern medical residency system, prolific author, bibliophile and Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford.
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Life & Career Timeline
Birth in Bond Head, Canada West
Born William Osler in Bond Head (Ontario), son of Reverend Featherstone Lake Osler and Ellen Free Pickton Osler.
Family moves to Dundas, Ontario
Osler was raised in Dundas from 1857 after his father accepted a rectorship there.
Enters Trinity College School (secondary)
Attended Trinity College School (Weston/Dundas area) where he encountered Reverend William Arthur Johnson, early mentor in natural history.
Enters Trinity College, University of Toronto (theology)
Initially studied for the ministry at Trinity College, University of Toronto before switching to medicine.
Enrolls at Toronto School of Medicine
Switched from theology to medical studies, attending the Toronto School of Medicine and studying with Dr. James Bovell.
First publication: 'Christmas and the microscope'
Published one of his earliest pieces on natural history/microscopy as a young medical student.
Accepted into McGill MDCM program (left Toronto School)
Left the Toronto School of Medicine after acceptance to McGill University Faculty of Medicine's MDCM program.
Receives MDCM (MD) from McGill University
Graduated McGill University Faculty of Medicine with MDCM (MD and Master of Surgery), completing medical degree.
Postgraduate studies in London, Berlin and Vienna
Spent ~2 years in Europe for advanced training: London (physiology lab work), Berlin with Rudolf Virchow (pathology), and ward rounds in Vienna.
Described blood platelets; elected to Royal Microscopical Society
Made one of the earliest observations of platelets (May 1873) and was elected to the Royal Microscopical Society.
Discovery: Oslerus osleri (lungworm) reported while teaching pathology
Osler discovered/described a lungworm parasite (Oslerus osleri) while teaching comparative pathology at McGill (approximate date during McGill years).
Appointed Lecturer at McGill University
Returned to Montreal and accepted a lectureship in Institutes of Medicine at McGill; soon introduced courses in histology and pathology.
Pathologist at Montreal General; taught veterinary pathology
Served as pathologist at the Montreal General Hospital, personally performed over 1,000 autopsies and taught comparative/veterinary pathology.
Promoted to Professor at McGill
Rapid promotion within McGill's Faculty of Medicine; became full professor and expanded teaching/departmental duties.
Appointed attending physician, Montreal General Hospital; elected to Royal College of Physicians
Became a full-time attending physician at Montreal General and was elected to the Royal College of Physicians (RCP).
Appointed Chair of Clinical Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Moved to Philadelphia to become Chair of Clinical Medicine; responsible for clinical lectures, ward rounds and autopsies.
Elected to the American Philosophical Society
Elected as a member of the American Philosophical Society (APS).
Founding member of the Association of American Physicians
One of seven founding members of the AAP, a society devoted to scientific and practical medicine.
Appointed Physician-in-Chief at Johns Hopkins Hospital
Became one of the 'Big Four' founding professors and the first Physician-in-Chief of the new Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.
Established the modern medical residency/housestaff system at Johns Hopkins
Created the first formal residency program and introduced bedside teaching/clinical clerkship; pioneered full-time sleep-in residents.
Gave farewell address 'Aequanimitas' on leaving Philadelphia
Delivered his well-known farewell address on physician equanimity when departing University of Pennsylvania.
Published The Principles and Practice of Medicine (first edition)
Authored a seminal medical textbook synthesizing clinical experience and contemporary science; influential for decades.
Instrumental in founding Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; professor there
Helped create the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (opened 1893) and served as one of its first professors of medicine.
Honorary degree from McGill University
Received an honorary doctorate from his alma mater McGill University (honorary degree year cited as 1895).
Elected Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS); multiple honorary degrees
Elected to the Royal Society (FRS) and received honorary degrees (e.g., University of Toronto, Aberdeen around 1898).
Helped found the Association of Medical Librarians (North America)
Instrumental in founding the Association of Medical Librarians (later Medical Library Association) in North America.
President, Medical Library Association (North America)
Served as second president of the Medical Library Association from 1901 to 1904.
Gave latchkeys to house staff; fostered 'latch-keyers' tradition
Known as a mentor who gave select house staff keys to his home library—an informal milestone in his mentoring culture at Johns Hopkins.
Offered Regius Professorship of Medicine at Oxford University
Offered the prestigious Regius Chair at Oxford; he accepted and prepared to relocate from Johns Hopkins.
Gave 'The Fixed Period' speech (controversial on aging)
Delivered 'The Fixed Period' (Feb 22, 1905) expressing controversial views on aging and retirement, attracting wide press coverage.
Took up Regius Professorship of Medicine at Oxford (moved to England)
Assumed the Regius Professorship at Oxford and became a Student (fellow) of Christ Church, Oxford; relocated May 1905.
Initiated the Association of Physicians (UK) and became founding Senior Editor, Quarterly Journal of Medicine
Helped found the Association of Physicians (Great Britain & Ireland) and served as founding Senior Editor of its journal.
Created a baronet (Sir William Osler) in Coronation Honours
Awarded a hereditary knighthood (baronetcy) by King George V in the Coronation Honours list.
Founded Postgraduate Medical Association; became first President
Founded the Postgraduate Medical Association in 1911 and served as its inaugural president.
President, Bibliographical Society of London
Served as president of the Bibliographical Society of London (noted president in 1913).
Death of son Edward Revere Osler in WWI (Passchendaele)
His son Edward Revere Osler, a 2nd lieutenant in the Royal Field Artillery, was mortally wounded at the 3rd Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) and died Aug 27, 1917.
Appointed President of the Fellowship of Medicine
In January 1919 Osler was appointed President of the Fellowship of Medicine.
Bequeathed personal history of medicine library to McGill University
Left an ~8,000-volume history of medicine collection to McGill; this became the nucleus of the Osler Library of the History of Medicine.
Career publication totals recorded
By the end of his career Osler had published well over 1,300 original medical articles and ~182 literary papers/essays (figures commonly cited posthumously).
70th birthday tributes and widespread recognition
On his 70th birthday (July 12, 1919) received an unprecedented outpouring of affection and tributes in journals and the press.
Founding President of merged Fellowship of Postgraduate Medicine
In October 1919 he was appointed founding President of the merged Fellowship of Medicine and the Postgraduate Medical Association.
Death in Oxford (probable bronchiectasis/pneumonia)
Died in Oxford on December 29, 1919, likely of complications of bronchiectasis/pneumonia during the influenza era; ashes later interred in Osler Library niche at McGill.
Harvey Cushing publishes biography 'The Life of Sir William Osler'
Harvey Cushing published a major biography of Osler in 1925 (Cushing later won the 1926 Pulitzer Prize for this work).
Harvey Cushing's biography wins Pulitzer Prize (related posthumous recognition)
Cushing's biography of Osler received the 1926 Pulitzer Prize (posthumous recognition for Osler's life via his biographer).
Study of Osler's brain (posthumous): 1927 anatomical study
A study of Osler's brain was published in 1927 as part of work on brains donated to the American Anthropometric Society.
Osler Library of the History of Medicine opens at McGill (library formed)
Osler's bequeathed library formed the nucleus of the Osler Library, which opened as a formal library in 1929 (posthumous event).
Osler's textbook: continued editions (16 editions over decades)
Osler's Principles and Practice of Medicine went through many editions (noted historically as 16 editions over ~55 years, kept in print long after his death).
Osler's brain displayed at Mütter Museum (posthumous exhibit)
Osler's donated brain was taken to and displayed at the Mütter Museum during an American Osler Society meeting in April 1987 (posthumous event).
Inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame (posthumous)
Osler was posthumously inducted in 1994 as a Laureate of the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame for his foundational contributions to medicine and education.
Controversy: investigation of Indigenous skulls shipment publicized
Journalistic/archival work in 2020 reconstructed Osler's sending several Indigenous skulls from Canada to Germany, prompting repatriation discussions (posthumous controversy).
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