Science history: Doctor autopsies the brain of a man who couldn't speak — and reveals the seat of spoken language — April 18, 1861

A transparent skull over a white background holds a tan brain with an area in the middle a deep red.

QUICK FACTS

Milestone: Autopsy on famous patient "Tan"

Date: April 18, 1861

Where: Bicêtre Hospital, outside Paris

Who: Dr. Paul Broca

On April 18, 1861, a doctor in Paris cut open the brain of a patient who had died the day before — and unwittingly identified a brain region that's key to spoken language.