March 04

John Anstis (1669–1744) was an English antiquarian and officer of arms who served as Garter Principal King of Arms from 1718 until his death. He was a pioneering genealogist whose research on heraldry and family lineages remains influential. Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1711, he also represented multiple constituencies in Parliament. His major work, "The Register of the Most Noble Order of the Garter", is still a key reference for scholars. Anstis’s dedication to historical scholarship helped shape the field of genealogy in Britain.

Jean-François Champollion (1790–1832) was a pioneering French philologist and linguist. He gained fame for deciphering the Egyptian hieroglyphs using the Rosetta Stone, unlocking the secrets of ancient Egypt. Champollion published his breakthrough in his "Lettre à M. Dacier", revolutionizing the study of hieroglyphic writing. He was appointed the first professor of Egyptology at the Collège de France. Champollion’s work laid the foundational framework for modern Egyptology and advanced comparative linguistics.

Von Buch was born in 1774 and initially studied law before turning to natural sciences. His extensive travels across Europe, including the Alps and Canary Islands, led him to formulate key theories on volcanic origin and stratigraphic classification. He introduced the concept of facies to describe rock formations and contributed to paleontology through his studies of fossils. Von Buch's work influenced contemporaries such as Alexander von Humboldt and helped establish geology as a rigorous scientific discipline. He published several important works, including his influential Travels through Germany, Denmark, and Italy. His legacy endures in the geological principles he helped define.

Born in 1856 in London, Willett established a successful building business with his brothers. He passionately campaigned for daylight saving time, publishing pamphlets and petitioning Parliament. He was a partner in his family’s contracting company, demonstrating his entrepreneurial spirit. Although he died in 1915, his proposal was adopted in Britain in 1916 and influenced global time standards. Willett’s efforts led to more efficient use of daylight and inspired modern daylight saving practices.

Born in 1846 in New York City, Ira Remsen was a pioneering American chemist and educator. He co-discovered saccharin in 1879 alongside Constantin Fahlberg, the first artificial sweetener. Remsen joined Johns Hopkins University in 1876 and became its second president in 1901. Under his leadership, the university expanded its graduate programs and laboratory research. He authored several chemistry textbooks that shaped modern chemical education. Remsen’s contributions laid the groundwork for fruitful collaboration between research and teaching.

Charles Scott Sherrington was a pioneering British physiologist who laid the groundwork for modern neurophysiology. He introduced the concept of the synapse and studied how nerve impulses are transmitted and integrated. For these discoveries, he shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1932 with Edgar Adrian. Sherrington's work on muscle reflexes and neuronal control advanced understanding of the nervous system. He held prestigious academic positions at the University of Liverpool and Oxford. His influential writings, including 'The Integrative Action of the Nervous System,' continue to inform neuroscience.

Born in 1886 in Zürich, Walter H. Schottky studied physics under Arnold Sommerfeld and began pioneering work on thermionic emission. In 1914, he described the Schottky effect, explaining electron emission at metal surfaces, and later developed the concept of the Schottky barrier in semiconductors. His research laid the foundation for the Schottky diode and influenced the development of transistors and microelectronics. Schottky's theoretical insights remain fundamental to solid-state physics and electronic engineering. He died on March 4, 1976.

Born in 1912 in England, Nancy Tyson Burbidge moved to Australia and studied botany at the University of Sydney. As curator at the National Herbarium of New South Wales, she produced seminal taxonomic studies and co-edited the multi-volume "Flora of Australia." A passionate conservation advocate, she helped establish protected areas and raise awareness of endangered plant species. Burbidge trained and mentored many young botanists and served in leadership roles in scientific societies. In recognition of her legacy, the Botanical Society of Australia established the Nancy T. Burbidge Medal. She died on March 4, 1977.

Albert L. Lehninger was a pioneering biochemist known for his work on oxidative phosphorylation and mitochondrial function. He served as a professor at Johns Hopkins University, where he mentored generations of scientists. His textbook "Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry" became a standard reference worldwide. Lehninger's research elucidated key mechanisms of ATP production and cellular energy conversion. His contributions laid the foundation for modern cellular and molecular biology. He received numerous awards for his scholarship and teaching, inspiring future biochemists.

Born in the Netherlands, Kolthoff immigrated to the United States and joined the University of Minnesota faculty. He revolutionized quantitative analysis with rigorous methods and textbooks widely used by students. His research spanned acid-base titrimetry, enzyme kinetics, and salt hydrolysis. Kolthoff authored foundational works such as the book 'Quantitative Chemical Analysis'. He trained generations of chemists and established analytical chemistry as a respected scientific discipline.

Robert H. Dicke was born in 1916 and served as a professor of physics at Princeton University. He made pioneering contributions to the development of the Dicke radiometer and high-precision microwave spectroscopy. His work provided key experimental support for general relativity and Mach's principle. In the 1960s, Dicke's predictions guided the search for the cosmic microwave background radiation, shedding light on the origins of the universe. He co-developed the Brans–Dicke theory, an alternative gravitational theory. Throughout his career, he mentored generations of physicists and received numerous awards for his groundbreaking research.

Hermann Brück began his career in Germany before moving to the United Kingdom in the 1930s. He worked at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh, where he advanced methods of stellar spectroscopy and photometry. Brück played a key role in establishing the Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope, as a leading center for southern hemisphere astronomical research. He served as Astronomer Royal for Scotland and influenced generations of astronomers through his teaching and guidance. His research contributed to the understanding of stellar composition and variability. Brück was also instrumental in modernizing observatory instrumentation and techniques. He passed away in 2000, leaving a legacy of scientific achievement and leadership in astronomy.