This is a timeline of genetics' history. If you are interested in a certain event that happened in history, then click on its links to learn more about it. Don't forget to take the quiz at the end of this section!
| 1866 | Gregor Mendel, "the father of genetics" describes the laws of inheritance by working on his pea plant experiments. LINKS: Mendel's Experiments | Mendel's Background Info |
| 1903 | Walter Sutton and Theodore Boveri propose that chromosomes in the cell nucleus contain the vehicles of inheritance. LINKS: Chromosomes | Cells |
| 1910 | While experimenting with fruit flies, Thomas Hunt Morgan discovers that certain hereditary traits are sex-linked. LINKS: Fruit Fly Experiments | Fruit Fly Information | Thomas Morgan's Background Info |
| 1944 | Oswald Avery discovers that genes are made up of DNA. LINKS: DNA |
| 1953 | Francis Crick and James Watson discover the double helix shape of DNA. LINKS: Crick & Watson | DNA |
| 1973 | The first gene is cloned |
| 1983 | Scientists discovered that the gene for Huntington’s disease is on chromosomes 4. LINKS: Huntington's Disease | Chromosomes |
| 1984 | The genetic fingerprinting technique was discovered. It allows forensic scientists to compare DNA found at a crime scene with that of a suspect. LINKS: genetic engineering in humans: genetic fingerprinting |
| 1989 | The gene responsible for cystic fibrosis was located. LINKS: Cystic Fibrosis |
| 1992 | A genetically engineered tomato, which tasted better and could stay fresh longer was produced. LINKS: genetic engineering in plants: tomato |
| 1997 | The first sheep was cloned. LINKS: genetic engineering in animals: sheep |