Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 accidentally while investigating bacteria. He found that a mold called penicillin had grown on some old petri dishes and killed the bacteria. Fleming could not afford further research, but during World War II some scientists received funding and developed penicillin into an important antibiotic that has saved millions of lives. The Scottish potato famine in the 1800s similarly affected the Scottish Highlands as the potato blight that caused Ireland's famine spread across Europe. The crop failure left many Highlanders destitute and forced thousands to leave their homes to escape the famine's effects, with many emigrating worldwide. Winnie Ewing was a prominent Scottish National Party politician who became the first SNP MP in 1967 and later served as

1. Quick
Scottish
History
A weekly guide to
Scotland’s past with
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#quickscottishhistory Issue 8 April 12 – April 18
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What seven locations are recognised as official cities in Scotland?
Last week’s answer: To be a Scottish munro, a mountain must be 3000 feet or higher
Weekly
quiz
Bullet point history
Alexander Fleming and Penicillin
• Penicillin is one of the significant medical discoveries ever made. As an
antibiotic, it has helped save the lives of millions of people.
• In 1928, Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming discovered Penicillin and
its medical uses – but it was an accident that led to this
• Fleming returned from holiday to find a mould (Penicillin) had grown on
some old petri dishes and killed bacteria that he was investigating.
• Fleming could not afford to do further research, but some scientists
received funding due to World War Two and developed the treatment
This week in Scottish history…
12 April 1945 – The Scottish National Party win their first parliamentary seat; they lose it six weeks later
13 April 1951 – Stone of Destiny returned to Westminster, after being taken by a group of Scottish students
14 April 1578 – Death of James Hepburn, the Earl of Bothwell, third husband of Mary, Queen of Scots
15 April 1865 – Birth of the poet, Walter Wingate, who wrote children’s poems including ‘The sair finger’
16 April 1746 – Jacobite army – led by Bonnie Prince Charlie - defeated at the Battle of Culloden
17 April 1895 – The first ever cremation in Scotland takes place in Glasgow at the Western Necropolis
18 April 1992 – Final performance by the Traverse Theatre Company at the Grassmarket, Edinburgh
The Scottish Potato Famine
Any mention of an 1800s potato famine usually leads people
to think about Ireland – but it happened in Scotland too.
The potato ‘blight’ that caused Ireland’s woes spread across
Europe, and Scotland’s Highlands suffered terrible too.
Blight’s destruction of crops left already poor Highlanders with
little to eat or sell, causing huge destitution.
Thousands of Highland Scots were forced to leave their homes
to escape the famine’s effects, some moving elsewhere in
Scotland but many emigrating across the globe.
It was estimated that around one-third of the population of
the West Highlands left between 1841 and 1861.
The life of …
Winnie Ewing
Born in 1929, Winnie Ewing was a lawyer
who became a prominent SNP politician.
Ewing found fame as the SNP MP for
Hamilton, winning a by-election in 1967.
She was later also an MEP and MSP.
In 1999, Ewing was given the honour of
presiding over the session to reopen
Scotland’s Parliament.
During her time as an MEP, Ewing was
given the nickname ‘Madame Ecosse’.