On December 13, 1805, Johann von Lamont [John Lamont] was born in Scotland. From his twelfth year, he was educated in Bavaria where he was schooled in maths and sciences. Lamont spent vacations assisting at the Royal Observatory at Bogenhausen (Munich). These interests led…
On December 9, 1962, Petrified Forest National Park was established in Arizona. Erosion- and weather-sculpted badlands, buttes, and mesas add their own surprising layers of colour from sedimentary iron and sulfate minerals in painting the desert biomes at the north end of this national…
On December 5, 1952, a blanket of smog built up over the City of London, England. Smog, a word combination of smoke + fog, is a regrettable feature in modern cities. Although London had a history of famous fogs and smogs, these were especially…
On December 3, 1842, environmental chemist Ellen Swallow Richards was born. Attracted to chemistry at Vassar, she applied for job as a professional chemist but was persuaded to apply to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she became the first woman accepted at this…
On November 25, 1913, American physician, researcher, and essayist Lewis Thomas was born. A man of intriguing insights, he added to his wisdom from views, opinions, and related experiences in science and medicine at Princeton, Harvard, and Tulane. He served as Dean of Yale…
On November 15, 1738, musician, composer, optics pioneer, and astronomer Frederick William Herschel was born. An oboe (cello, violin, harpsichord, organ…) player so passionate about astronomy when he discovered the discipline that he hooked his sister and brother into a suite of activities that…
On October 17, 1936, Japanese geophysicist Hiroo Kanamori was born. Recipient of many prizes and awards, he has spent his life investigating the magnitude and energy releases of great earthquakes. Like Charles Richter, Kanamori has taught at the California Institute of Technology. The original…
On October 13, 1820, geologist and paleontologist Sir John William Dawson was born in Nova Scotia. His interest in geology involved him in a life of fossil hunting. As a youngster he built up an assortment of shale layer fossils and traded with others…
On September 28, 1961, the San Diego Underwater Photographic Society had its organizational meeting. SDUPS is one of the oldest organizations dedicated to the techniques and art of underwater photography. Members include beginning underwater photographers to semi- and full-time professionals. They are committed to…
On September 26, 1774, Jonathan Chapman aka Johnny Appleseed was born in Massachusetts. A restless, wiry man with some apprenticeship in plant nursery craft, he had a talent for understanding what a tree required and a spiritual desire to live a simple, waste-free life.…