Science · 1849–1936
Born: 26 September 1849 · Died: 27 February 1936 · Age at death: 86
Ivan Pavlov died aged 86. He was born on 26 September 1849 and died on 27 February 1936.
Russian physiologist whose experiments with dogs revealed conditioned reflexes, winning the Nobel Prize in Medicine
Did you know?Although famous for using a bell to make dogs salivate, he actually utilised various stimuli including metronomes and whistles.
Ivan Pavlov showed how animals, and people, learn to link one thing with another. He was first a brilliant student of digestion. He won the Nobel Prize in 1904 for that work, the first Russian to receive one. While studying dogs he noticed they began to drool before food arrived. He trained them to respond to a signal alone. This became known as classical conditioning. His ideas shaped behaviourism and modern psychology. He spoke out against Soviet repression, yet the state kept funding his lab.
Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (Russian: Иван Петрович Павлов, IPA:; 26 September 1849 – 27 February 1936) was a Russian and Soviet experimental neurologist and physiologist known for his discovery of classical conditioning through his experiments with dogs.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Profile
Russian physiologist, 1849–1936
Ivan Pavlov was born in Ryazan on 26 September 1849 (14 September in the Old Style calendar).
He studied at St Petersburg University.
He studied digestion.
He received the Nobel Prize in 1904.
Career highlights
Did you know?He was the first Russian to win a Nobel Prize.
Questions people ask
b. 1981
1888–1965
1889–1976
1897–1978
b. 1965Missing someone? Suggest them
b. 1952
1869–1948
1940–1980b. 1981A newspaper from their birth date
The front page from the day they were born, a classic keepsake.
Shop on AmazonLibra zodiac gifts
Jewellery, prints and candles for the Libra in your life.
Shop on EtsyStar map of September 26
A custom print of the night sky on their birthday.
Shop on EtsyMilestone birthday gifts
Ideas for 18th, 30th, 40th, 50th and beyond.
Shop on AmazonWe may earn a small commission from purchases, at no extra cost to you.
Reviewed by the Who Shares My Birthday editorial team.
Last reviewed: October 2026