On May 1, we remember two significant figures from Basel's scientific history. Johann Jakob Balmer, born on this day in 1825, was a Swiss mathematician who developed the Balmer series formula for hydrogen spectral lines, a foundational contribution to atomic theory. He was born in Lausen, studied and taught at the University of Basel, and spent his entire career in the city, where he died in 1898. See wikipedia for more information.

Wilhelm His Sr., who died on May 1, 1904, was a prominent Swiss anatomist and professor at the University of Basel. He invented the microtome, enabling detailed tissue analysis, and made key discoveries in embryology, including the "hillocks of His" related to ear development. His work laid foundational concepts in anatomy and embryology, and he is remembered for his critical stance against Lamarckism. See wikipedia for more information.