Posts Tagged ‘18th century science’
Karl Friedrich von Gaertner: Cultivating the Future of Plant Science
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 1, 1772 On this day, Karl Friedrich von Gaertner, a German botanist with a name that destiny seemed to have chosen, was born. Gaertner, which translates to “gardener,” was indeed a fitting…
Read MoreParsing Petals: John Berkenhout and the Language of Botany
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. July 8, 1726 On this day, dear readers, we celebrate the birth of one John Berkenhout, an English physician, naturalist, and writer of no small repute. While his name may not be as…
Read MoreThe Botanical Casanova: Sébastien Vaillant’s Floral Revolution
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 26, 1669 On this day, dear gardeners and botanists alike, we celebrate the birth of Sébastien Vaillant, a French botanist whose passion for the floral world blossomed as early as his fifth…
Read MoreNaming Nature’s Dance: Carl Linnaeus and the Birth of Modern Taxonomy
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 23, 1707 On this day, dear readers, we celebrate the birth of a man whose name is whispered reverently in gardens and herbaria across the globe – Carl Linnaeus (books about this…
Read MoreSeeds of Wisdom: John Hope’s Botanical Revolution in Edinburgh
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 10, 1725 On this day, dear garden enthusiasts, we celebrate the birth of a true horticultural hero, John Hope. This esteemed gentleman would grow to become not only a distinguished botanist and…
Read MoreFrom Stars to Sunflowers: The Botanical Legacy of Henri Cassini
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 9, 1781 On this day, dear readers, a most curious seed was planted in the grand garden of scientific legacy. Henri Cassini, destined to become a French botanist and naturalist of note,…
Read MoreBreathing with Plants: Jean Senebier and the Secret of Leaves
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 6, 1742 On this day, dear garden enthusiasts, a most remarkable seed was planted in the fertile soil of scientific inquiry. Jean Senebier, destined to become a Swiss pastor and botanist of…
Read MoreJoseph Priestley: The man who gave us air, electricity, and the garden’s first ecosystem experiment
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. March 24, 1733 Dearest reader, On this day, we celebrate the birth of Joseph Priestley, a remarkable English chemist, polymath, author, and minister whose curiosity led him to many groundbreaking discoveries. While tutoring…
Read MoreJean Senebier: The Botanist Who Revealed the Secret Life of Leaves
Finding the Purpose of Leaves May 6, 1742 Today is the birthday of Jean Senebier, a Swiss pastor and botanist. Where would we be without Senebier? Still breathing… but lacking the knowledge that carbon dioxide is consumed by plants and, in turn, that plants produce oxygen as part of the process of photosynthesis. In a nutshell,…
Read MoreJean-Jacques d’Ortous de Mairan: The Sensitive Plant and the Birth of Chronobiology
Internal Circadian Clock November 26, 1678 Today is the birthday of the French geophysicist, astronomer, and most notably, chronobiologist Jean-Jacques d’Ortous de Mairan. Mairan’s job as a chronobiologist is a job one rarely hears about these days. In 1729, Mairan put together an experiment showing the existence of a circadian rhythm in plants. Mairan…
Read MoreJob Baster: Dutch Naturalist and Pioneer of Goldfish Breeding
Pond-Owner-Extraordinaire Today is the birthday of the Dutch naturalist and pond-owner-extraordinaire Job Baster. Baster was one of the first Dutch nature researchers to use a microscope to look at flora and fauna. He wrote down his findings in a book. He also wrote an excellent translation of Philip Miller’s work on horticulture. In 1758, Baster…
Read MoreJohann Gottfried Zinn: Botanist and Anatomist Remembered in Flower and Eye
Initial Anatomy of the Iris Today is the birthday of Johann Gottfried Zinn, who was born on this day in 1727. Zinn died at the age of 32, but he accomplished much in his short life, and he focused on two areas of science: human anatomy and botany. From an anatomy standpoint, in his early…
Read MoreJean-Jacques d’Ortous de Mairan: Pioneer of Plant Circadian Rhythms
Chronobiology for the Circadian Clock Today is the birthday of Jean-Jacques d’Ortous de Mairan, who was born on this day in 1678. Mairan was a French chronobiologist – a job one rarely hears about these days. In 1729, da Mairan put together an experiment showing the existence of a circadian rhythm in plants. Essentially, he…
Read MoreHenri Dutrochet: The Botanist Who Unveiled Osmosis
Osmosis Observer Today is the birthday of the French physiologist and botanist Henri Dutrochet, who was born on this day in 1776. Dutrochet discovered and named the process of osmosis working in his home laboratory as he was investigating the movement of sap in plant tissues. Dutrochet shared his discovery with the Paris Academy of…
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