Welcome to World IVF Day or also called Global IVF Day, a day dedicated to celebrating the success of in vitro fertilization (IVF) in helping millions of couples around the world to start a family. On this day, we recognize the amazing contributions of the scientists, doctors, and families who have made this life-changing technology possible.

On November 17th, we celebrate World IVF Day in honor of the historic implantation of the first successful IVF embryo into the uterus of Lesley Brown.

This remarkable achievement, carried out by Dr. Patrick Steptoe and Dr. Robert Edwards, revolutionized the field of reproductive medicine and paved the way for modern fertility treatments. Thanks to their groundbreaking work, millions of families around the world have been able to fulfill their dreams of parenthood. Today, on World IVF Day, we honor the courage and determination of Lesley Brown and her family, who blazed a trail that has brought hope and happiness to so many. We also recognize the ongoing work of fertility specialists and researchers around the world, who continue to advance the field of reproductive medicine and offer new hope to those struggling with infertility. Together, we celebrate the incredible achievements of the past and look forward to a future where every individual has the opportunity to create a family of their own.

• November 10th, 1977: Lesley Brown undergoes laparoscopy, during which Dr. Patrick Steptoe retrieves a mature egg from her ovary.
• November 17th, 1977: Dr. Steptoe successfully implants an 8-celled embryo, developed in vitro using Lesley’s egg and her husband’s sperm, into her uterus.
• July 25th, 1978: Lesley Brown gives birth to Louise Brown, the world’s first baby born through in vitro fertilization.

However this started all the way back in 1878. As far as scientific research goes, this is the timeline of IVF

1878

August Weismann proposes the germ plasm theory, which states that the genetic material that determines an organism’s characteristics is passed down from parent to offspring through germ cells.

1908

William Roux performs the first successful fertilization of frog eggs in vitro.

1920s

Scientists begin to experiment with fertilizing mammalian eggs in vitro.

1930s

Gregory Pincus and Min Chueh Chang develop a method for culturing mammalian eggs in vitro.

1950s

M.C. Chang successfully fertilizes rabbit eggs in vitro.

1960s

Patrick Steptoe begins developing a method for retrieving human eggs from the ovaries.

1968

Steptoe performs the first successful human egg retrieval.

1973

Robert Edwards and Steptoe begin collaborating on the development of IVF.

1978

On November 17th, Patrick Steptoe introduces an 8-celled embryo developed from the in vitro fusion of Lesley Brown’s retrieved egg and her husband’s spermatozoon into her uterus. The implantation was successful, and Lesley Brown went on to give birth to Louise Brown, the first baby to be born as a result of IVF, on July 25th, 1978.

1980s

IVF becomes more widely available, and the success rates of IVF begin to improve.

The first IVF baby in the United States is born.

1990s

IVF is used to help couples with a variety of fertility problems, including male infertility, egg quality problems, and blocked fallopian tubes.

The first IVF baby in China is born.

2000s

IVF is used to help couples with even more complex fertility problems, including genetic disorders and cancer.

The first IVF baby in India is born.

2010s

IVF continues to improve, and the success rates of IVF continue to increase.

The first IVF baby in Africa is born.

2020s

IVF is now a widely used and successful treatment for infertility. It has helped millions of couples to have children.

The first IVF baby in South America is born.

We celebrate 25th July as World Embryologist Day to commemorate the hard-work of embryologists with Lesley Brown’s birth.