Pioneering blood-banking physician Charles Drew dies in a car accident in North Carolina at age 45.
At a Glance
- Date
- 1 April 1950
- Location
- Burlington, North Carolina
- Key people
- Charles Drew
- Category
- Science, Medicine & Invention
- Source
- Medical records; biographical accounts · National Library of Medicine
What It Meant Then
He had revolutionized the storage of blood plasma and resigned over the segregation of donated blood.
What It Means Now
Drew is honored as a giant of modern medicine.
Cite this page
- MLA
- “Charles Drew Dies.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/charles-drew-dies/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). Charles Drew Dies. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/charles-drew-dies/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “Charles Drew Dies.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/charles-drew-dies/.
Editorial Note
By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.