Daniel Nathans parents, Samuel and Sarah Nathans met each other in the U.S and were married in Philadelphia in 1910. Sarah Nathans (Daniel’s mother) came to the U.S from Russia when she was 18 years old. Samuel Nathans (Daniel’s father) came to the U.S when he was a teenager. Daniel was born on October 30, 1928. He was the last of nine children in his family. He attended the University of Delaware in 1950 and earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. He then attended the Washington University in St. Louis and earned a Master's Degree in 1954.