Bill Wilson

A chance meeting in 1935 between two alcoholics – Bill Wilson, a New York stockbroker, and Bob Smith, a surgeon based in Akron, Ohio –led to the organization of Alcoholics Anonymous. The pair developed the 12-step program and began working with oter alcoholics, helping them achieve sobriety one day at a time. In 1939 they published The Big Book, one of the best-selling books of all time and a lifeline to millions worldwide.