Ernst Haeckel, German biologist, physician, and philosopher (d. 1919)
Ernst Heinrich Philipp August Haeckel (German: [ɛʁnst ˈhɛkl̩]; 16 February 1834 – 9 August 1919) was a German zoologist, naturalist, eugenicist, philosopher, physician, professor, marine biologist and artist. He discovered, described and named thousands of new species, mapped a genealogical tree relating all life forms and connected many terms in biology, including ecology, phylum, phylogeny, and Protista. Haeckel promoted and popularised Charles Darwin's work in Germany and developed the influential but no longer widely held recapitulation theory ("ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny") claiming that an individual organism's biological development, or ontogeny, parallels and summarises its species' evolutionary development, or phylogeny.
The published artwork of Haeckel includes over 100 detailed, multi-colour illustrations of animals and sea creatures, collected in his Kunstformen der Natur ("Art Forms of Nature"), a book which would go on to influence the Art Nouveau artistic movement. As a philosopher, Ernst Haeckel wrote Die Welträthsel (1895–1899; in English: The Riddle of the Universe, 1901), the genesis for the term "world riddle" (Welträtsel); and Freedom in Science and Teaching to support teaching evolution.
Haeckel was also a promoter of scientific racism and embraced the idea of Social Darwinism.
1834Feb, 16
Ernst Haeckel
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Events on 1834
- 29Apr
Second voyage of HMS Beagle
Charles Darwin during the second survey voyage of HMS Beagle, ascended the Bell mountain, Cerro La Campana on 17 August 1834, his visit being commemorated by a memorial plaque.[1] - 1Aug
Slavery Abolition Act 1833
Slavery is abolished in the British Empire as the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 comes into force. - 16Oct
Burning of Parliament
Much of the ancient structure of the Palace of Westminster in London burns to the ground. - 1Dec
Slavery Abolition Act 1833
Slavery is abolished in the Cape Colony in accordance with the Slavery Abolition Act 1833.