ALS Awareness Ribbon
Inspired by the Yankee's pinstripe uniform worn by Lou Gehrig, the Navy Pinstripe has become the awareness ribbon for ALS.

History of ALS

» 1850 - English scientist Augustus Waller describes the appearance of shriveled nerve fibers

» 1869 - French doctor Jean-Marie Charcot first describes ALS in scientific literature

» 1881 - "On Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis" gets translated into English and published in a three-volume edition of Lectures on the Diseases of the Nervous System

» 1939 - Lou Gehrig is diagnosed with ALS

» 1941 - Lou Gehrig dies at age 38

» 1950s - ALS epidemic occurs among the Chamorro people on Guam

» 1991 - Researchers link chromosome 21 to FALS

» 1993 - SOD1 gene on chromosome 21 found to play a role in some cases of FALS

» 1996 - Rilutek® becomes the first FDA-approved drug for ALS

» 1998 - El Escorial is developed as the standard for confirming ALS

» 2001 - Alsin gene on chromosome 2 found to cause ALS2

You are here: History

Home | About Site | Introduction | Symptoms | Forms | Causes | Diagnosis | Treatment | Research | Facts | A True Case | Conclusion | Credits