A chance meeting in 1935 between two alcoholics -- Bill Wilson, a New York stockbroker, and Bob Smith, a surgeon based in Akron, Ohio -- led to the organization of Alcoholics Anonymous. The pair developed the 12-step program and began working with other alcoholics, helping them achieve sobriety one day at a time. In 1939 they published "The Big Book," one of the bestselling books of all time and a lifeline to millions worldwide.