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Humboldt, Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von (1769 - 1859)

FRS
Published Sources
Explorer
Born: 14 September 1769  Berlin, Germany.  Died: 6 May 1859  Berlin, Germany.
(Baron) Friedrich Wilhelm H. A. von Humboldt was a renowned German explorer and prolific author. Initially his trips were confined to Europe, but in 1799 he set off for South and Central America where he made some of his most important finds. His discoveries were many and wide ranging and resulted in the creation and advancement of many scientific disciplines. Alexander von Humboldt discovered the fertilizing properties of guano (bat droppings), introduced the concept of isotherms in weather recording, and he studied the origin and course of tropical storms, the Earth’s magnetic fields and volcanoes. However he is probably most well known for his work on the relationship between plant distribution and geographical and environmental factors. The National Library of Australia has many of his written works in its collection.

Career Highlights
Alternative Names: von Humboldt, Alexander (Also known as)

Chronology
1790Expedition to England
1792Expedition to Vienna
1792Assesor of Mines in Berlin
1795Geological and botanical survey of Switzerland and Italy
1797Expedition to Vienna
1799 - 1804Expedition to South and Central America
1800Explored the course of the Orinoco River
1805 - 1834Voyage de Humboldt et Bonpland published in 23 volumes
1808Migrated to France (Paris)
1815Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS)
1829Expedition to Russian Asia
1829Councillor in Berlin title received

 

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Structure based on ISAAR(CPF) - click here for an explanation of the fields.Prepared by: Annette Alafaci
Created: 20 October 1993
Modified: 23 June 2005

Published by The University of Melbourne eScholarship Research Centre on ASAPWeb, 1994 - 2007
Originally published 1994-1999 by Australian Science Archives Project, 1999-2006 by the Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre
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Updated: 26 February 2007
http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/biogs/P000509b.htm

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