Best, George, 1946-2005, Northern Irish soccer play, b. Belfast. Regarded as the greatest player ever in British soccer, he was signed by Manchester United in 1961. He first played for the team in 1963, and helped them win two First Division titles (1965, 1967) and the European Cup (1968). Noted for his deft ball control and fine sense of balance as well as on-field theatrics, he was adored by fans. The excesses of his playboy lifestyle contributed to the early end (1974) of his career with Manchester United, with 178 goals in 466 games. His later play with lesser teams, when he was increasingly hampered by alcoholism, never equaled his decade in the First Division.

Best, Charles Herbert, 1899-1978, Canadian physiologist, b. West Pembroke, Maine. With F. G. Banting he discovered (1921) the use of insulin in the treatment of diabetes. He was appointed professor of physiology at the Univ. of Toronto in 1929, served as associate director of the Connaught Laboratories from 1932 to 1941, and became director of the Banting and Best department of medical research at the Univ. of Toronto in 1941. With N. B. Taylor he wrote The Living Body (rev. ed. 1946), The Physiological Basis of Medical Practice (4th ed. 1946), and The Human Body and Its Functions (3d ed. 1956).

(born Feb. 27, 1899, West Pembroke, Maine, U.S.—died March 31, 1978, Toronto, Ont., Can.) U.S.-born Canadian physiologist. He was a professor and administrator at the University of Toronto 1929–67. With Frederick Banting, he was the first to obtain a pancreatic extract of insulin in a form useful for controlling diabetes mellitus (1921). He did not receive the 1923 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine with Banting and J. J. R. Macleod because he did not yet have his medical degree, although Banting voluntarily shared his portion of the prize with Best. Best also discovered the vitamin choline and the enzyme histaminase and was one of the first to introduce anticoagulants to treat thrombosis.

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(born Feb. 27, 1899, West Pembroke, Maine, U.S.—died March 31, 1978, Toronto, Ont., Can.) U.S.-born Canadian physiologist. He was a professor and administrator at the University of Toronto 1929–67. With Frederick Banting, he was the first to obtain a pancreatic extract of insulin in a form useful for controlling diabetes mellitus (1921). He did not receive the 1923 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine with Banting and J. J. R. Macleod because he did not yet have his medical degree, although Banting voluntarily shared his portion of the prize with Best. Best also discovered the vitamin choline and the enzyme histaminase and was one of the first to introduce anticoagulants to treat thrombosis.

Learn more about Best, Charles H(erbert) with a free trial on Britannica.com.