Conversations in the first half of 2021 are dominated by COVID-19 vaccines: where they are being distributed, who has had the coveted shots, and how life will change after the majority of adults have been vaccinated. The journal Science even chose RNA-based vaccines as their “2020 Breakthrough of the Year.” These developments are, of course, highly welcome, and they could not have been achieved without a key event that occurred 150 years ago but that is now virtually forgotten: the discovery of nucleic acids, DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid). This finding marked the start of a new era in our understanding of organisms and disease. But the story also holds lessons in how we remember those who bring about breakthroughs.