Born: June 3, 1904 Washington D.C. US

Died: April 1, 1950 (aged 45) Burlington, North Carolina US

Charles Richard Drew was an American surgeon and medical researcher. He researched in the field of blood transfusions, developing improved techniques for blood storage, and applied his expert knowledge to developing large-scale blood banks early in World War II. This allowed medics to save thousands of Allied forces’ lives during the war.