CHEMIST
Maclyn McCarty
1911 - 2005
Maclyn McCarty
Maclyn McCarty (June 9, 1911 – January 2, 2005) was an American geneticist, a research scientist described in 2005 as "the last surviving member of a Manhattan scientific team that overturned medical dogma in the 1940s and became the first to demonstrate that genes were made of DNA." He had worked at Rockefeller University "for more than 60 years." 1994 marked 50 years since this work's release. McCarty devoted his life as a physician-scientist to studying infectious disease organisms, and was best known for his part in the monumental discovery that DNA, rather than protein, constituted the chemical nature of a gene. Uncovering the molecular secret of the gene in question — that for the capsular polysaccharide of pneumococcal bacteria — led the way to studying heredity not only through genetics but also through chemistry. Read more on Wikipedia
Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Maclyn McCarty has received more than 111,023 page views. His biography is available in 23 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 22 in 2019). Maclyn McCarty is the 460th most popular chemist (down from 453rd in 2019), the 5,567th most popular biography from United States (up from 5,798th in 2019) and the 85th most popular American Chemist.
Memorability Metrics
110k
Page Views (PV)
49.75
Historical Popularity Index (HPI)
23
Languages Editions (L)
5.32
Effective Languages (L*)
2.68
Coefficient of Variation (CV)
Among CHEMISTS
Among chemists, Maclyn McCarty ranks 460 out of 602. Before him are Benjamin List, Geneviève Thiroux d'Arconville, Walther Kossel, Eugène-Anatole Demarçay, Carl Remigius Fresenius, and James Crafts. After him are Friedrich Accum, Takamine Jōkichi, Zdenko Hans Skraup, Isabella Karle, Johan Kjeldahl, and James Smithson.
Most Popular Chemists in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsBenjamin List
1968 - Present
HPI: 50.05
Rank: 454
Geneviève Thiroux d'Arconville
1720 - 1805
HPI: 49.96
Rank: 455
Walther Kossel
1888 - 1956
HPI: 49.94
Rank: 456
Eugène-Anatole Demarçay
1852 - 1903
HPI: 49.92
Rank: 457
Carl Remigius Fresenius
1818 - 1897
HPI: 49.88
Rank: 458
James Crafts
1839 - 1917
HPI: 49.77
Rank: 459
Maclyn McCarty
1911 - 2005
HPI: 49.75
Rank: 460
Friedrich Accum
1769 - 1838
HPI: 49.70
Rank: 461
Takamine Jōkichi
1854 - 1922
HPI: 49.68
Rank: 462
Zdenko Hans Skraup
1850 - 1910
HPI: 49.52
Rank: 463
Isabella Karle
1921 - 2017
HPI: 49.51
Rank: 464
Johan Kjeldahl
1849 - 1900
HPI: 49.51
Rank: 465
James Smithson
1765 - 1829
HPI: 49.34
Rank: 466
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1911, Maclyn McCarty ranks 205. Before him are Antonio Guzmán Fernández, Ronald Neame, Carl Keenan Seyfert, Gustav Wetterström, Kick Smit, and Lee Falk. After him are Antonio Sastre, Mary Blair, Bel Kaufman, Masayuki Mori, Luise Rinser, and Robert Marchand. Among people deceased in 2005, Maclyn McCarty ranks 188. Before him are Mario David, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Dorothy Stang, Marc Lawrence, Fei Xiaotong, and Song Renqiong. After him are Aušra Augustinavičiūtė, Donald Watson, Luther Vandross, Eugene McCarthy, Nirmal Verma, and Barrington Moore Jr..
Others Born in 1911
Go to all RankingsAntonio Guzmán Fernández
POLITICIAN
1911 - 1982
HPI: 50.07
Rank: 199
Ronald Neame
FILM DIRECTOR
1911 - 2010
HPI: 50.02
Rank: 200
Carl Keenan Seyfert
ASTRONOMER
1911 - 1960
HPI: 50.01
Rank: 201
Gustav Wetterström
SOCCER PLAYER
1911 - 1991
HPI: 49.98
Rank: 202
Kick Smit
SOCCER PLAYER
1911 - 1974
HPI: 49.89
Rank: 203
Lee Falk
COMIC ARTIST
1911 - 1999
HPI: 49.79
Rank: 204
Maclyn McCarty
CHEMIST
1911 - 2005
HPI: 49.75
Rank: 205
Antonio Sastre
SOCCER PLAYER
1911 - 1987
HPI: 49.73
Rank: 206
Mary Blair
ARTIST
1911 - 1978
HPI: 49.73
Rank: 207
Bel Kaufman
WRITER
1911 - 2014
HPI: 49.63
Rank: 208
Masayuki Mori
ACTOR
1911 - 1973
HPI: 49.61
Rank: 209
Luise Rinser
WRITER
1911 - 2002
HPI: 49.58
Rank: 210
Robert Marchand
CYCLIST
1911 - 2021
HPI: 49.54
Rank: 211
Others Deceased in 2005
Go to all RankingsMario David
SOCCER PLAYER
1934 - 2005
HPI: 50.18
Rank: 182
Geraldine Fitzgerald
ACTOR
1913 - 2005
HPI: 50.18
Rank: 183
Dorothy Stang
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1931 - 2005
HPI: 50.10
Rank: 184
Marc Lawrence
ACTOR
1910 - 2005
HPI: 50.03
Rank: 185
Fei Xiaotong
ANTHROPOLOGIST
1910 - 2005
HPI: 50.02
Rank: 186
Song Renqiong
POLITICIAN
1909 - 2005
HPI: 49.79
Rank: 187
Maclyn McCarty
CHEMIST
1911 - 2005
HPI: 49.75
Rank: 188
Aušra Augustinavičiūtė
ECONOMIST
1927 - 2005
HPI: 49.72
Rank: 189
Donald Watson
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1910 - 2005
HPI: 49.69
Rank: 190
Luther Vandross
SINGER
1951 - 2005
HPI: 49.69
Rank: 191
Eugene McCarthy
POLITICIAN
1916 - 2005
HPI: 49.63
Rank: 192
Nirmal Verma
WRITER
1929 - 2005
HPI: 49.47
Rank: 193
Barrington Moore Jr.
PHILOSOPHER
1913 - 2005
HPI: 49.47
Rank: 194
In United States
Among people born in United States, Maclyn McCarty ranks 5,567 out of 20,380. Before him are Henry Clay Frick (1849), Gary Peacock (1935), Travis Barker (1975), Alfred Blalock (1899), Darlene Cates (1947), and Marvelous Marvin Hagler (1954). After him are Bruce Kulick (1953), J. Lawton Collins (1896), Adriana Caselotti (1916), Pearl White (1889), George Bancroft (1882), and Jude Ciccolella (1947).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsHenry Clay Frick
BUSINESSPERSON
1849 - 1919
HPI: 49.76
Rank: 5,561
Gary Peacock
MUSICIAN
1935 - 2020
HPI: 49.76
Rank: 5,562
Travis Barker
MUSICIAN
1975 - Present
HPI: 49.75
Rank: 5,563
Alfred Blalock
PHYSICIAN
1899 - 1964
HPI: 49.75
Rank: 5,564
Darlene Cates
ACTOR
1947 - 2017
HPI: 49.75
Rank: 5,565
Marvelous Marvin Hagler
BOXER
1954 - 2021
HPI: 49.75
Rank: 5,566
Maclyn McCarty
CHEMIST
1911 - 2005
HPI: 49.75
Rank: 5,567
Bruce Kulick
MUSICIAN
1953 - Present
HPI: 49.74
Rank: 5,568
J. Lawton Collins
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1896 - 1987
HPI: 49.74
Rank: 5,569
Adriana Caselotti
ACTOR
1916 - 1997
HPI: 49.74
Rank: 5,570
Pearl White
ACTOR
1889 - 1938
HPI: 49.74
Rank: 5,571
George Bancroft
ACTOR
1882 - 1956
HPI: 49.74
Rank: 5,572
Jude Ciccolella
ACTOR
1947 - Present
HPI: 49.73
Rank: 5,573
Among CHEMISTS In United States
Among chemists born in United States, Maclyn McCarty ranks 85. Before him are Eric Betzig (1960), Roy J. Plunkett (1910), Myrtle Bachelder (1908), James B. Conant (1893), Donella Meadows (1941), and James Crafts (1839). After him are Isabella Karle (1921), Michael Behe (1952), Edward Goodrich Acheson (1856), Karen Wetterhahn (1948), Robert Jarvik (1946), and Wallace Smith Broecker (1931).
Eric Betzig
1960 - Present
HPI: 51.51
Rank: 79
Roy J. Plunkett
1910 - 1994
HPI: 51.32
Rank: 80
Myrtle Bachelder
1908 - 1997
HPI: 50.57
Rank: 81
James B. Conant
1893 - 1978
HPI: 50.51
Rank: 82
Donella Meadows
1941 - 2001
HPI: 50.40
Rank: 83
James Crafts
1839 - 1917
HPI: 49.77
Rank: 84
Maclyn McCarty
1911 - 2005
HPI: 49.75
Rank: 85
Isabella Karle
1921 - 2017
HPI: 49.51
Rank: 86
Michael Behe
1952 - Present
HPI: 46.93
Rank: 87
Edward Goodrich Acheson
1856 - 1931
HPI: 46.24
Rank: 88
Karen Wetterhahn
1948 - 1997
HPI: 46.10
Rank: 89
Robert Jarvik
1946 - Present
HPI: 45.39
Rank: 90
Wallace Smith Broecker
1931 - 2019
HPI: 45.38
Rank: 91