Dr. Albert Hofmann, the Swiss chemist who invented LSD, died Tuesday night in his Switzerland home. Hofmann, whose name is often misspelled as Hoffman, was 102 years old.
Hofmann's death happened in Burg im Leimental, the village near Basel where he moved following his retirement in 1971.
Hofmann discovered lysergic acid diethylamide-25 (LSD) in 1938 while studying the medicinal uses of a fungus found on wheat and other grains at the Sandoz pharmaceuticals firm in Basel.
Hofmann was also the first person to "trip" off of the drug when a small portion of LSD seeped into his finger during an experiement on April 16, 1943.
Hofmann and his associates thought the drug would be of great use to help treat and recognize psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia.
After being sold and becoming available to the general public, there became stories of the psychodelic effects and horror stories of people going on murder sprees while using the drug.
The US government banned LSD in 1966 and other countries followed suit.
Hofmann retired in 1971 and began focusing on travel, writing and lectures. Hofmann is survived by two of his four children. He was predeceased by his wife Anita.
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