Do you know the history behind Clinical Trials Day?Unlike most unusual (seemingly made up) days of the year, Clinical Trials Day has a great deal of history behind it — centuries, actually. Annually on May 20th, Clinical Trials Day honors the legacy of James Lind, a Scottish doctor, who conducted one of the first ever clinical trials in 1747.Lind was a pioneer of naval hygiene in the Royal Navy, often arguing the health benefits of better ventilation aboard ships, improved cleanliness of sailors' bodies, clothing and bedding, and below-deck fumigation. During his time serving on the HMS Salisbury, British seamen were contracting scurvy at an alarming rate after just two months at sea, with some even succumbing to the disease.