Life and achievements
Early life
Alexander von Humboldt was born to a noble family on September 14, 1769, in Berlin, Prussia. His father, Alexander Georg von Humboldt, was a major in the Prussian Army, and his mother, Maria Elisabeth Colomb, was of the official status family. Young Alexander von Humboldt and his elder brother Wilhelm were to be provided with a broad education in the spirit of the Enlightenment.
Philosophy, mathematics, and natural sciences tutors influenced young Humboldt's education, and he quickly revealed himself to be a prodigy of sorts in the realm of natural sciences. Humboldt was fascinated with botany, entomology, and mineralogy and was referred to as "the little apothecary."
His passion for these subjects grew into a career as he attended the University of Göttingen, where he specialized in natural history and languages. He later joined the Freiberg School of Mines to study geology under the tutorship of Abraham Gottlob Werner. Humboldt's early years of schooling and experience as a mining inspector paved the way for his later explorations and scientific endeavors.
When he was young, Humboldt was fascinated with scientific travel. During his early adult years, he was preparing for exploration, learning to make accurate scientific measurements, and familiarizing himself with modern research techniques. By the late 1790s, he was ready for the voyage that would set the course for his career: his scientific tour of the Americas.
Legacy
Alexander von Humboldt left a tremendous and long-lasting impact on the world. He changed the ways in which the natural environment is interpreted and provided crucial advances to such sciences as geography, ecology, climatology, and botany. His idea of the "unity of nature" revolutionized the scientific perception by stressing the interdependence of all living organisms and their environment.
This concept, which constitutes the core of the current ecological and environmental sciences, was way ahead of its time and remains relevant in today's science.
Thus, it can be stated that Humboldt's explorations in South America changed science and the perception of the New World in Europe. They were detailed analyses of the geography, climate, and other forms of diversity in the area, and his remarks on artificial climate change are prophetic today. Humboldt was also a great advocate for indigenous people and slavery, supporting social and environmental justice causes before they became trends.
His work influenced generations of scientists, including Charles Darwin, for whom Humboldt was one of the biggest influences. Humboldt's ideas also influenced other writers, such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. His five-volume work Kosmos has been a testimony to his desire to explain the whole of the natural world, and therefore, he has been regarded as one of the giants in the history of science.
Milestone moments
Jun 5, 1799
Humboldt's Staging of the Journey to the Americas
Humboldt left Spain in June 1799 and traveled through South America, Mexico, and Cuba for about five years. His companion and botanist Aimé Bonpland joined him. The goal of this expedition was to document the Americas' biogeographic and geologic environment and to collect scientific information that would contradict the information provided by European scientists.
Humboldt had an impressive collection of scientific instruments that enabled him to measure temperature, altitude, and the Earth's magnetic field.
Humboldt's voyage was profound as he traveled through parts of the American continent that had not been scientifically mapped.
He was a pioneer in the fields of botany, geography, and ethnography.
He also ascended several high mountains during this journey, such as Chimborazo in Ecuador, and made many discoveries on the impact of altitude on species distribution.
The journey through South America provided Humboldt with a wealth of information, and he dedicated the rest of his years to compiling and disseminating it.
His work changed sciences like botany, geography, and meteorology and established him as one of the most influential scientists of the epoch.
Nov 13, 1800
The Casiquiare River
In 1800, Humboldt and Bonpland moved inland to Venezuela to discover the link between the Orinoco and the Amazon River. This search resulted in their discovery of the Casiquiare River, a natural canal connecting the two river systems.
As the Casiquiare was documented by Humboldt, the existence of the hydrological link was proved, although it was previously only discussed as a hypothesis.
This discovery was significant in establishing the relationship between the river systems of South America.
Humboldt's detailed measurements and observations made during this time contributed immensely to the growth of physical geography as a discipline.
His maps and data provided information that would be beneficial for future travelers and contributed to the creation of biogeography.
It is in connection with these river basins that Humboldt understood the interconnection between climate, geography, and plant distribution.
It strengthened his ideas of the oneness of Nature, a concept that would run through his later work.
Jul 15, 1804
Meeting with Thomas Jefferson
The short visit of Humboldt to the United States in 1804 can be considered the critical phase of his life. While he was in Washington, D.C. for six weeks, he talked to President Thomas Jefferson about geography, natural history, and politics. Humboldt also gave Jefferson extensive data about Spanish possessions in the Americas, which was helpful in the U.S. administration after the Louisiana Purchase.
Jefferson considered Humboldt the most scientific man of the age, and the meeting helped establish Humboldt as a leading scientific personality in the world.
At the same time, Humboldt also got acquainted with several of the most famous scientific personalities in the United States of America, such as Benjamin Rush and Caspar Wistar.
The information sharing between Humboldt and Jefferson had a long-term geo-political impact as it helped the U.S. government to better understand the newly acquired Louisiana Territory and the Spanish people.
It is important to note that Humboldt contributed to the development of science in America and the formation of the country's culture and intellectual traditions.
Mar 14, 1845
Publication of Kosmos
In 1845, the first volume of Kosmos, one of the most outstanding achievements of Humboldt's career, was published. Kosmos was an endeavor to include all the information about the living organisms and non-living objects in the universe.
Kosmos was written in a popular scientific manner and filled with exciting stories; thus, it became a popular science book loved by scientists and laypeople.
The work concurred with Humboldt's view that all physical occurrences and years of observation, study, and exploration are interrelated.
The next seventeen years saw Humboldt bringing out four more volumes of Kosmos, and the series was finished shortly before the author's death.
The publication of Kosmos made Humboldt one of the most significant scientific minds of the epoch.
Kosmos contributed to the development of natural science and literature, arts, and philosophy.
The integrated view of Nature depicted in the book was influential to transcendentalist writers Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau and a generation of scientists.