Today is the anniversary of the birth of Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German psychiatrist and pathologist who, in 1907, was the first to describe the devastating disease that would bear his name. Alzheimer was born in Markbreit am Mainz, Germany, on June 14, 1864 and was known for his research on the nervous system. In 1907, he published a description of presenile dementia. For this work, German psychiatrist, Emil Kraepelin, named the disease in his honor. The disease usually strikes those older than 60. According to the Alzheimer's Association, about 4 million Americans suffer from the degenerative brain disease, which causes the loss of mental function. There is no cure. Alzheimer died on Dec.19, 1915. He was 51.

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