Explorer. He was a German explorer as well as botanist and geographer of the early 19th century. Born Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt, he would become known as "The Co-Father of Geography," along with Carl Ritter. In 1799, he traveled to colonial South America for a five-year expedition with French botanist Aimé Bonpland, gathering as much information as possible. Among the numerous paintings done to document this trip, there are several paintings of the two men together. In 1802, he set a world altitude record, climbing the Andean peak, Chimborazo. In 1829, he was invited by Tsar Nicholas I to go to Russia to record and study Siberia. In 1845, he began writing his most famous work, "Kosmos," which would state his belief that everything, including humans, were part of an interconnected world. He often left God out of his beliefs. The five-volume "Kosmos" would be completed in 1862. Humboldt himself, however would die at the age of 89 in 1859. The Humboldt Current, a cold, low-salinity ocean current that flows north along the western coast of South America in the direction of the equator, is named after Alexander von Humboldt even though it was discovered by José de Acosta 250 years before. In 1846, von Humboldt reported the measurements of the cold-water current in his book, "Kosmos." He never married. He suffered a stroke on February 24, 1857, dying from complications two years later.
Explorer. He was a German explorer as well as botanist and geographer of the early 19th century. Born Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt, he would become known as "The Co-Father of Geography," along with Carl Ritter. In 1799, he traveled to colonial South America for a five-year expedition with French botanist Aimé Bonpland, gathering as much information as possible. Among the numerous paintings done to document this trip, there are several paintings of the two men together. In 1802, he set a world altitude record, climbing the Andean peak, Chimborazo. In 1829, he was invited by Tsar Nicholas I to go to Russia to record and study Siberia. In 1845, he began writing his most famous work, "Kosmos," which would state his belief that everything, including humans, were part of an interconnected world. He often left God out of his beliefs. The five-volume "Kosmos" would be completed in 1862. Humboldt himself, however would die at the age of 89 in 1859. The Humboldt Current, a cold, low-salinity ocean current that flows north along the western coast of South America in the direction of the equator, is named after Alexander von Humboldt even though it was discovered by José de Acosta 250 years before. In 1846, von Humboldt reported the measurements of the cold-water current in his book, "Kosmos." He never married. He suffered a stroke on February 24, 1857, dying from complications two years later.
Bio by: Linda Davis
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