Happy Bicycle Day, the anniversary of Swiss chemist Albert Hoffmann's trailblazing trip on LSD

Tabs of LSD
(Image credit: yurok/iStock)

Psychedelic enthusiasts around the world celebrated Bicycle Day on Tuesday, the anniversary of Swiss chemist Albert Hoffmann's discovery of the psychedelic effects of LSD. The "holiday" gets its name from Hoffman's trippy bicycle trip home after intentionally dosing himself with acid on April 19, 1943.

Hoffman synthesized lysergic acid diethylamide while developing pharmaceuticals for Sandoz Laboratories. On April 16, he began to suspect he had stumbled on something after he absorbed a small amount of the substance through his fingertips.

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Grayson Quay

Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-GazetteModern AgeThe American ConservativeThe Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.