When Louise Brown was born in London on July 25, 1978, she was the world's first baby that... what?

The birth of Louise Brown in 1978 was a monumental breakthrough in medical science because she was the first human successfully conceived through in vitro fertilization (IVF). Her parents, Lesley and John Brown, had struggled with infertility for nine years. The pioneering procedure was developed by British physiologist Robert Edwards and gynecologist Patrick Steptoe, who retrieved an egg from Lesley, fertilized it with John's sperm in a laboratory culture, and then implanted the resulting embryo back into her uterus to develop.

The term "in vitro" is Latin for "in glass," which led to the popular and memorable nickname "test tube baby," even though the fertilization actually took place in a petri dish. At the time, the event was met with both awe and intense controversy, sparking ethical and religious debates around the globe. Many worried about the potential health and societal consequences of creating life outside the human body.

Despite the initial concerns, the procedure was a success. Louise Brown's healthy birth offered a revolutionary new path to parenthood for millions of couples facing infertility. Her conception paved the way for modern assisted reproductive technology, and for his work, Robert Edwards was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2010. Today, IVF is a common medical procedure that has resulted in millions of births worldwide.