The Double Helix!!

Molecular structure of nucleic acids; a structure for deoxyribose nucleic acid.

WATSON JD, CRICK FH.

Nature. 1953 Apr 25;171(4356):737-8.

Why is it cool?

 Today's paper is the seminal work of James Watson and Francis Crick where they present their model of the structure of DNA!! Everyone knows the double helix and the shape has become ingrained in our cultural psyche that references to it abound in any movie about biology. This research may have ushered in the era of biological investigation that currently rules our mindset (or so I think)!
 If you are my age, then you can really get a feel for how close 1953 is to right now. My parents were both born before 1953 and that means that for a brief (2 years) period my parents did not know the structure of DNA! Of course, they didn't know anything at that time because they were both toddlers. It may not seem very close, but we have only known the structure of our genetic material for 58 years! If you have grandparents, they probably don't understand what all the fuss is about.
 If you don't know the structure of the double helix, just imagine twisting a ladder.