Historical Framework of Major Events Relevant to Radiation Cytogenetics:
Fundamental Nuclear Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Medicine and Radiation Protection
1869
1873
1895
1896
1897
1900
1900
1903
1903
1905
1905
1906
1911
1913
1914
1915
1923
1925
1926
1927
1927
1928
1928
1928
1930
1931
1932
1932
1934
1935
1937
1938
1938
1941
1945
1946
1947
1947
1949
1952
1952
1953
1954
1955
1955
1956
1957
1957

Periodic system of the elements (D. I. Mendeléeff).
Theory of electromagnetic radiation (J. C. Maxwell).
Discovery of X-rays (E. C. Rӧntgen).
Discovery of radioactivity (A. H. Becquerel).
Isolation of polonium and radium (M.Curie, P. Curie).
Discovery of γ-rays (Villard).
Re-discovery of G. J. Mendel’s laws (H. de Vries, C.E. Correns,
E. von S. Tschermak).
“Die Mutationstheorie (Mutation Theory)” (H. de Vries).
Chromosomal theory of inheritance (Cytogenetics) (W. S. Sutton).
Special theory of relativity (E=mc2) (A. Einstein).
Quantum theory of light (photoelectric effect), E=hv (A. Einstein).
Law of Bergonié-Tribondeau (J. Bergonié and L. Tribondeau).
Discovery of atomic nucleus (E. Rutherford).
Bohr’s theory of hydrogen (H) atom (N. Bohr).
Chromosome mutation theory of cancer (Th. Boveri).
“The Mechanism of Mendelian Heredity” (T. H. Morgan).
Compton effect (A. H. Compton).
International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU).
Schrӧdinger’s wave mechanism (E. Schrӧdinger).
“The Quantum Theory of the Emission and Absorption of Radiation”(P. A. M. Dirac)
X-ray induced mutagenesis in Drosophila (H. J. Muller)
X-ray induced mutagenesis in maize (L. J. Stadler).
X-ray induced mutagenesis in Nicotiana (T. H. Goodspeed, A. R. Olson).
International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP).
Quantum mechanical stopping power (H. A. Bethe).
Chromosomal origin of mutation in maize (B. McClintock).
Discovery of positron (C. D. Anderson).
Discovery of neutron (J. Chadwick).
Production of artificial radioisotopes (F. Joliot and I. Joloit-Curie)
Prediction of mesons for short range nuclear force (H. Yukawa).
Chromosomal origin of mutation in Drosophila (B. P. Kaufmann).
X-ray induced chromosome aberrations in Tradescantia (K. Sax).
Discovery of nuclear fission by neutron (O. Hahn and F. Strassmann).
Neutron-induced chromosome aberrations (K. Sax).
Atomic bombing (nuclear fission) in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
“Action of Radiation on Living Cells” (D. E. Lea).
Radiocarbon (14C) dating (W. F. Libby).
Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission (ABCC).
Photoreactivation (A. Kelner).
First thermonuclear fusion test (hydrogen bomb).
Stemline theory of cancer (S. Makino).
Discovery of DNA double helix (J. D. Watson and F. H. C. Crick).
First hydrogen bomb test at Bikini atoll, Marshallese Islands,
United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation(UNSCEAR).
Exchange theory of chromosome breaks (S. H. Revell).
Normal chromosome constitution of man (J. H. Tjio and A. Levan)
Molecular chromosome model (Unineme model) (J. H. Taylor).
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

1957
1957
1958
1958
1958
1959
1959
1959
1960
1960
1960
1960
1961
1961
1962
1964
1965
1965
1965
1966
1966
1966
1966
1968
1968
1968
1968
1969
1969
1970
1970
1970
1970
1971
1971
1971
1971
1972
1973
1973
1973
1974
1974
1975
1976
1979
1982
1982
1982
1982
1984
1985

X-ray induced chromosome aberrations in cultured human cells (M. A Bender).
Split dose recovery in Chlamidomonas (B. S. Jacobson).
“What is Life: The Physical Aspect of the Living Cell” (E. Schrӧdinger).
International Association for Radiation Research (IARR)
Sister chromatid exchange (SCE) (J. H. Taylor).
Site theory for chromosome exchanges (S. Wolff).
Split dose recovery (Sublethal damage) (M. M. Elkind and H. Sutton).
Birth of human clinical cytogenetics (J. Lejune; C. E. Ford; P. Jacobs).
Denver Conference on Human Chromosome Standardization.
Peripheral blood lymphocyte culture technique (P. S. Moorhead et al.).
X-ray induced chromosome aberrations in man lymphocytes (I. M. Tough).
Electron spin (paramagnetic) resonance spectroscopy (W. Gordy andI. Miyagawa; J. W. Hunt et al.)Radioisotope induced chromosome aberrations in human tumor (M. S. Sasaki).
First manned space flight (Vostok 1).
“Recuplex” criticality accident, Hanford, USA.
Unscheduled DNA synthesis (R. E. Rasmussen and R. B. Painter).
Chromosomal theory of RBE (G. J. Neary).
Atomic bomb radiation dosimetry system in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, T65D.
Folded fiber model of chromosome (E. J. DuPraw).
Okazaki fragment (R. Okazaki).
Infinite site model for chromosome exchanges (A. Norman and M. S. Sasaki).
Potentially lethal damage (R. A. Phillips and L. J. Tolmach).
International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA)First human missions landed on the earth (Apollo 11).
Chromosomal biodosimetry in man (M. S. Sasaki and H. Miyata).
UV hypersensitivity of xeroderma pigmentosum (J. E. Cleaver).
Restriction endonuclease (S. Linn and W. Arber).
“Human Radiation Cytogenetics” (M. A Bender).
UV hypersensitivity of xeroderma pigmentosum (J. E. Cleaver)Micronucleus test (K. Boller and W. Schmid).
Premature chromosome condensation (PCC) (R. T. Johnson and P. N. Rao)
Quinacrine fluorescence chromosome banding (Q-band) (T. Caspersson).
Q-banding (T. Canspersson)
C-banding (J. J. Yunis), G-banding (A. T. Sumner), R-banding (B. Dutrillaux).
Chromosome aberrations in atomic bomb survivors (A. A. Awa).
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging in medicine (R. Damadian).
Ames mutagen test (B. N. Ames).
Theory of dual radiation action (A. M. Kellerer and H. H. Rossi).
Molecular theory of aberration formation (KH. Chadwick and HP. Leenhouts).
Cross-link hypersensitivity of Fanconi anemia (M. S. Sasaki and A. Tonomura).
X-ray computer tomography (CT) (G. N. Hounsfield).
High frequency of SCE in Bloom syndrome (J. German).
Harlequin staining of sister chromatid (P. Perry and S. Wolff)
X-ray hypersensitivity of ataxia telangiectasia (A. M. R. Taylor).
Chromosomal origin of mutation in mice (M. Abrahamson and S. Wolff).
TMI nuclear power plant accident, USA.
Photon Factory (PF), High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK),
Tsukuba, Japan.
X-ray induced heritable tumor in mice (T. Nomura).
Threshold energy-repair saturation model (D. T. Goodhead).
Inverse dose-rate effect (C. K. Hill).
Radioadaptive response (G. Olivieri, J. Bodycote and S. Wolff).
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (R. K. Saiki).

1985
1985
1986
1986
1986
1987
1989
1990
1993
1994
1994
1997
1999
2002
2007
2008
2011

1945
1945
1945
1947
1949
1951
1953
1954
1954
1954
1954
1955
1956
1956
1957
1957
1957
1959
1959
1961
1965
1965
1971
1975
1976
1976
1978
1979
1986
1986
1988
1999
2000

Transcription coupled repair (P. C. Hanawalt).
Cytokinesis-block micronucleus method (M. Fenech and A. A. Morly)
Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) (D. Pinkel).
Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident, USSR.
Atomic bomb radiation dosimetry system in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, DS86.
Cesium-137 accident in Goiânia, Brazil.
Single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) (T. Sekiya).
Human genome project (HGP).
UV photoreactivating enzyme (Cry1, Cry2) (T. Todo)
Heavy Ion Medical Accelerator in Chiba (HIMAC), Chiba, Japan.
Clustered DNA damage (J. F. Ward; D. T. Goodhead).
SPring-8 (Super Photon ring-8 GeV), RIKEN, Harima, Japan.
Criticality accident of JCO Tokai-mura, Japan.
Atomic bomb radiation dosimetry system for Hiroshima and Nagasaki, DS02.
Atlas of Cancer Genome Project.
J-PARK (Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex), Tokai, Japan.
TEPCO Fukushima nuclear power plant accident (Japan)===============================
Relevant Radiation Research in Japan
Atomic bombing in Hiroshima (August 6) and Nagasaki (August 9).
End of the World War II (August 15).
Ad Hoc Committee on the Atomic Bomb Damage (MEXT).
Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission (ABCC).
Science Council of Japan (SCJ).
“Summary Report on the Atomic Bomb Damage” (SCJ).
Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy (President D. D. Eisenhower at the United Nations General Assembly).
Hydrogen bomb test at Bikini Atoll: Fallout exposure in 23 fishermen (Fukuryu-maru).
Ad Hoc Committee on the Effects of Radiation” (SCJ).
Japan proposed at UNESCO General Assembly “Urgent Need for the International Studies
on Radiation Effects”.
First National Budget for the development of nuclear energy.
Ground Rule of Nuclear Energy Law (Independency, Democratic, Openness).
Atomic Energy Commission (AEC).
Ministry of Science Technology (Merged to MEXT in 2001).
Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI).
First research reactor (JRR-1) in criticality.
National Institute for Radiological Science (NIRS).
Atomic Energy Society of Japan (AESJ).
Japan Radiation Research Society (JRRS).
Japan Health Physic Society (JHPS).
Japanese Society of Radiation Chemistry (JSRC).
Atomic bomb radiation dosimetry system in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, T65D.
Iridium (192Ir) accident in Chiba (September 18).
ABCC reformed to US-Japan binational organization (Radiation Effects Research Foundation, RERF).
Japan Association for Radiation Research (JARR).
Radiation Biology Center (Inter-university Research Center), Kyoto University.
Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC).
6th International Congress of Radiation Research, May 13-19, Tokyo.
Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident.
Atomic bomb radiation dosimetry system in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, DS86.
Japan Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (JASTRO).
Criticality accident in JCO Tokai-mura (September 30).
10th International Congress of Radiation Protection Association, May 14-19, Hiroshima.

2002
2005
2011
2015

Atomic bomb radiation dosimetry system for Hiroshima and Nagasaki, DS02.
Asian Association for Radiation Research (AARR).
Fukushima nuclear power plant accident (March 11)
15th International Congress of Radiation Research, May 25-29, Kyoto
Compiled by Masao S. Sasaki, D.Sc.