A Day That Shook The World: Deciphering the human genome

Sunday 26 June 2011 00:00 BST

(Getty)

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On 26 June 2000, Bill Clinton acknowledged one of the greatest scientific breakthroughs in human history - the mapping of the human genome.

It was hoped that scientists of the future would be able to use this work to fight previously incurable genetic diseases like Huntingdon's, cancer and Alzheimer's.

Several countries were involved in the achievement, but 30 per cent of the work was completed here in Britain, at the Sanger Institute near Cambridge.

Watch original British Pathe footage from the breakthrough, above.

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A Day That Shook The World: Deciphering the human genome

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