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sacred physics
Johann Jakob Scheuchzer publishes Sacred Physics, a pictorial account of earth's history based on the Old Testament. Included is a description of what he believes is a fossilized victim of the biblical flood. -
binomial nomenclature
Johann Jakob Scheuchzer publishes Sacred Physics, a pictorial account of earth's history based on the Old Testament. Included is a description of what he believes is a fossilized victim of the biblical flood. -
george washington
George Washington becomes the president of the United States, he proclaims the first national Thanksgivings Day in the same year. -
french revolution
The French Revolution begins. -
James Hutton
James Hutton overturns the "Neptunian" view of rock formation in his Theory of the Earth, suggesting instead that forces of rock creation are balanced by forces of rock destruction. -
johnny appleseed
Trees planted by pioneer John Capman, known as Johnny Appleseed, begins bearing fruit. -
John marshall
John Marshall appointed as Chief Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court. -
lewis and clark
Lewis & Clark begin their great exploration. -
george cuvier
French naturalist Georges Cuvier proposes that floods and other catastrophes divide the geologic record into distinct eras where different kinds of organisms lived. He figures that since fossils from upper layers ("strata") of rocks are closer to today's life than those in lower strata, lower rocks are older, and contain older organisms. -
charles darwin
came up with the theory that all species of life evolved from another species -
evolution
Modern view of evolution develops: random mutations occur among organisms, and those that survive natural selection are represented in later generations. Fossil evidence shows gradual change and development of organisms in both plant and animal realms. -
DNA double helix
Francis Crick and James Watson discover the double-helix structure of DNA, unlocking heredity's "memory storage" mechanism. -
DNA and RNA
Analysis of DNA and RNA is used to map the tree of life. Resurgence of creationism among religious fundamentalists renews pressure on biology teachers.
