Charles Glen King
He unlocked the secret to scurvy by isolating vitamin C, a breakthrough that reshaped our understanding of nutrition and health.
1896–1988 (age 92)·American biochemist·Birthday: October 22·The Lost Generation
Biography
Charles Glen King's journey from a farm in rural Washington to the forefront of biochemistry was fueled by a relentless curiosity about the building blocks of life. Working at the University of Pittsburgh, he became obsessed with the elusive 'antiscorbutic factor'—the substance that prevented scurvy. For years, he meticulously tracked it through animal experiments and complex chemical isolations from lemon juice. In 1932, his lab successfully crystallized the pure vitamin, a monumental achievement published just weeks after Albert Szent-Györgyi's similar work. While history often credits the latter, King's parallel, rigorous proof was foundational. He spent his career championing the essential role of vitamins in public health, influencing food fortification policies and leaving a legacy where biochemistry met everyday human need.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Charles was born in 1896, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Charles Was Born
The biggest hits of 1896
Charles's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1896Born
First modern Olympic Games held in Athens
President: Grover Cleveland
1901Started school
Queen Victoria dies, ending the Victorian era
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1909Became a teenager
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1912Could drive
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1914Could vote
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1917Turned 21
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1926Turned 30
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1936Turned 40
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1946Turned 50
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1956Turned 60
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1966Turned 70
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 80
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1988Died at 92
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
Key Achievements
- Successfully isolated and crystallized vitamin C from lemon juice in 1932, providing definitive proof of its chemical identity.
- Served as the first scientific director of the Nutrition Foundation, shaping national research agendas.
- Authored over 200 research papers, fundamentally advancing the scientific understanding of B vitamins and nutrition.
- His early work on vitamin C laid the groundwork for its eventual synthesis and mass production.
Did You Know?
He initially pursued a degree in chemical engineering before switching to biochemistry.
His vitamin C research was partly funded by a grant from the Borden Company, a dairy producer.
He was a passionate advocate for applying scientific research to solve global hunger issues.
King taught biochemistry at Columbia University for over two decades.
“The history of nutrition is a fascinating story of the gradual recognition of the fact that food does more than furnish energy and building material.”
