April 25

Born in Uppsala in 1701 into a family of scientists. Became a professor of astronomy at Uppsala University. Conducted observations of the aurora borealis and polar star positions. Introduced a centigrade temperature scale in 1742, later named Celsius. Participated in an expedition to measure a degree of latitude in Lapland. Published studies on comet observations and meteorology. Died in Uppsala in 1744, leaving a lasting scientific impact.

Born in Cauroir, France in 1700. Ordained as a Catholic priest and known as Abbé Nollet. Joined the French Academy of Sciences in 1734. Conducted popular demonstrations of electrical phenomena across Europe. Invented the electroscope and improved the electrometer. Authored influential texts on physics and natural philosophy. Died in Paris in 1770, revered as a communicator of science.

Born in Pithiviers in 1781. Studied at École Polytechnique and later taught there. Made major contributions to elasticity, heat, and electricity. Introduced the Poisson distribution in probability theory. Formulated Poisson's equation and Poisson brackets. Elected to the French Academy of Sciences in 1812. Died in Paris in 1840, remembered through numerous scientific terms.

Born in Saint Petersburg in 1822, Ditmar studied geology at the University of Dorpat. In 1851–52, he led a landmark expedition to Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, conducting systematic geological surveys. He collected mineral specimens and documented volcanic formations in detail. His published reports significantly advanced scientific understanding of the region’s geology. Ditmar’s work laid the groundwork for further exploration of Russia’s Far East. He returned to Europe and continued his research until his death in 1892.

John Ernest Adamson was born in 1867 in England and pursued a career in education, teaching in schools across the country. In the early 20th century, he was appointed Director of Education for the Transvaal Colony in South Africa. Adamson implemented comprehensive curriculum reforms and established teacher training programs to elevate educational standards. He focused on expanding access to primary education and integrating practical training into the curriculum. After retiring, he returned to England and continued to write on educational policy until his death in 1950.

Markus Reiner was born in 1886 in Austria-Hungary and later moved to Palestine. He was a pioneering engineer whose research laid the groundwork for rheology, the study of flow and deformation of matter. Reiner co-authored key texts on fluid mechanics and educated generations of engineers in Israel. His work influenced diverse fields, from petroleum engineering to polymer science. As a professor at the Technion in Haifa, he helped establish modern engineering education.

Lev Shankovsky was born in 1903 and devoted his career to studying Ukraine's military past. He meticulously researched the activities of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). Shankovsky's writings preserved firsthand accounts of underground resistance. His work provided valuable context for Ukraine's struggle for independence. He published several seminal studies on guerrilla warfare and national liberation. Shankovsky's scholarship influenced subsequent generations of historians. He died in 1995, leaving a legacy in Ukrainian military historiography.

Lucien Le Cam (1924–2000) was a French-born mathematician and statistician best known for developing the theory of statistical experiments and asymptotic analysis. His concept of Le Cam's distance and contiguity laid the groundwork for modern statistical inference. He held positions at prestigious institutions including the University of California, Berkeley. Le Cam authored influential texts such as "Asymptotic Methods in Statistical Decision Theory". His contributions shaped the fields of probability theory and econometrics. He trained generations of statisticians and left a profound mark on theoretical statistics.

Born in 1948 in Perthshire, Brian Adam earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry and became an expert in gas chromatography research. He held academic positions at Robert Gordon University and published influential papers on analytical chemistry. In 1999, Adam was elected as an SNP representative in the newly established Scottish Parliament for Aberdeen North. He championed science, education, and rural development, serving on key parliamentary committees. Throughout his career, he bridged academic research and public service, advocating for evidence-based policy. Adam passed away in 2013, remembered for his dual contributions to science and politics.

Born in 1941, György Berencsi studied medicine at Semmelweis University in Budapest before specializing in virology. Over a career spanning four decades, he held professorships at Eötvös Loránd University and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He published extensively on influenza, herpesvirus, and other pathogens, advancing the understanding of viral pathogenesis. Berencsi mentored numerous students and collaborated internationally on vaccine research. His work earned him prestigious awards and bolstered Hungary’s reputation in medical science until his death in 2013.

Matthias Kuhle was a German geographer and academic specializing in mountain geography. He served as a professor at the University of Göttingen and led numerous scientific expeditions to the Himalayas. Kuhle's work focused on glacial changes, erosion processes, and the impacts of climate change on mountain environments. He published extensively on the geology and geography of high-altitude regions. Tragically, Kuhle died during a field expedition in the Tibetan Himalayas in April 2015. His research continues to influence studies on mountain ecosystems and climate science. He is remembered for his dedication to fieldwork and contributions to understanding some of the world's highest peaks.