Ketamine was first synthesized in 1962 by Calvin L. Stevens, a professor of Chemistry at Wayne State University and a Parke Davis consultant conducting research on alpha-hydroxyimine rearrangements. Following FDA approval in 1970, ketamine anesthesia was first given to American soldiers during the Vietnam War, due to its safety. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the most effective and safe medicines needed in a health system. Source: Wikipedia