AKároly Than was born in Óbecse, Kingdom of Hungary, Austrian Empire (today Bečej, Serbia). He interrupted his education and joined the Hungarian army in the war of independence 1848 at the age of 14. On his return, he found his mother dead and his father ruined. Than worked in several pharmacies to earn money form completing his education. After attending a school in Szeged, Than started to study medicine and later chemistry at the University of Vienna. He received his PhD for work with Josef Redtenbacher in 1858. After working for some time as assistant of Redtenbacher, he left to study with Robert Bunsen at the University of Heidelberg and with Charles-Adolphe Wurtz at the University of Paris. On his return to Redtenbacher in 1859, he worked as lecturer at the University of Vienna.