INFECTIOUS! The movie 12 Monkeys follows the story of a man from the year 2054 who is sent back in time to stop a dangerous virus from destroying the world.
In contrast, the actual events that inspired the film center around a researcher from the Wichita State University, Dr. Katherine Hayhoe, who was investigating an unusually sarcastic virus that had been found in laboratory mice in 1984.
She hypothesized that the virus may have come from outer space and suggested the name “Twelve Monkeys”, which was later used to refer to any group of 12 people.
What she meant by this is unknown.
While Hayhoe’s research did not uncover an alien origin for the virus, her work provided important insight into its origins and potential treatments.
Not to mention inspire a blockbuster film and a TV series!