Asima Chatterjee: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Asima Chatterjee, a Calcutta native who was a groundbreaking pioneer in the field of chemistry, and whose work is still helping cancer patients and others to this day, is the subject of the September 23 Google Doodle.

“When Dr. Asima Chatterjee was growing up in Calcutta in the 1920s and 1930s, it was almost unheard of for a woman to study chemistry. But that didn’t stop Chatterjee: she not only completed her undergraduate degree in organic chemistry, but she also went on to receive a Doctorate of Science — the first woman to do so in India!” Google notes.

The Google Doodle is running on what would have been Chatterjee’s 100th birthday. According to Google, “Today’s Doodle pays homage to this trailblazer and her great accomplishments in the name of science.”

The inspirational Chatterjee once famously said, “I wish to work as long as I live.”