Every day, all over the world, many thousands of physicians, nurses, and paramedics measure systemic arterial pressure by applying a cuff with an inflatable bladder around the patient's arm and using a stethoscope to listen to the sounds in the brachial artery. Many care providers know that they are listening to “Korotkoff sounds,” but very few know that the method was introduced 90 years ago by a Russian doctor and scientist, Nikolai Sergeevich Korotkoff (Fig 1⇓). Indeed, a report on a new method of measurement of arterial pressure1 was presented on November 8, 1905, at a scientific seminar of the Imperial Military Medical Academy, Saint Petersburg, Russia, by Korotkoff, a young surgeon from the clinic of Prof Sergei P. Fedorov. (The authors found the date of the presentation mentioned in Korotkoff's dissertation.2(p116)) An English translation of the text of Korotkoff's presentation1 was published by W.H. Lewis, Jr, in 1941.3 In the 90 years since Korotkoff presented the new method to measure the arterial pressure, medical science and medical technology have made big strides. However, because of its simplicity and high degree of accuracy, the method of auscultatory measurement of arterial pressure remains the most acceptable in everyday medical practice. Moreover, this method is one of only a few techniques for clinical examination of patients that has not undergone significant changes since it was introduced. Very little is known, even in his native Russia, about the life and work of this doctor and scientist.4 Outside Russia, even less is known about Korotkoff. Some biographical information by Segall was published in English in 1965.5 However, because of differences between the Russian and American systems of education, Segall misinterpreted some facts of Korotkoff's life. Information in the present article was based on materials available in the …