Original: First synthesized in 1874 by Othmar Zeidler , DDT 's insecticidal properties were not discovered until 1939 by the Swiss scientist Paul Hermann Müller , who was awarded the 1948 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine for his efforts .
Simplified: The Swiss chemist Paul Hermann Müller was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1948 , for his discovery.NobelPrize.org : The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1948 Accessed July 26 , 2007 .