Louis Pasteur, December 27, 1822 – September 28, 1895, was a French chemist and microbiologist born in Dole. He is remembered for his remarkable breakthroughs in the causes and preventions of disease. His discoveries reduced mortality from puerperal fever, and he created the first vaccine for rabies. His experiments supported the germ theory of disease causation. He was best known to the general public for inventing a method to stop milk and wine from causing sickness, a process that came to be called pasteurization.