Discovery of DNA Double Helix Structure

On April 25, 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick published their double-helix model of DNA in Nature, describing two intertwined strands with complementary base pairs that suggested a mechanism for genetic replication. Their work relied on X-ray crystallography data produced by Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins, published in companion papers. The discovery established the structural basis for molecular biology, enabling subsequent developments in genetic engineering, forensic analysis, and gene therapy. Watson, Crick, and Wilkins received the 1962 Nobel Prize; Franklin, who died in 1958, was not eligible for consideration.