Alexander von Humboldt Brief Biography

Alexander Von Humboldt was an explorer and naturalist from Prussia whose adventures took him to the Americas and Asia.  More things are named after von Humboldt than anyone who has ever lived.  His extraordinary life intersected with famous personalities as varied as Goethe, Thomas Jefferson, Simon Bolivar, and many scientists.  Charles Darwin’s journey aboard the HMS Beagle was inspired by von Humboldt’s Latin American explorations.

In his multi-volume treatise, Cosmos, Von Humboldt presented the world as “a beautifully ordered and harmonious system.”  This important work represents the foundation of modern ecological studies.