William T. Stearn (16 April 1911 – 9 May 2001) was a British botanist. Born in Cambridge, he was largely self-educated. He was head librarian at the Royal Horticultural Society's Lindley Library in London from 1933 to 1952, and then moved to the Natural History Museum where he was a scientific officer in the botany department until 1976. After retirement, he became the president of the Linnean Society and taught botany at Cambridge University. He is known for his work in botanical taxonomy, history, and illustration, and for his studies of the Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus. Stearn is the author of Botanical Latin, as well as the Dictionary of Plant Names for Gardeners, a popular guide to the scientific names of plants. He is considered one of the most eminent British botanists of his time. An essay prize in his name from the Society for the History of Natural History is awarded each year.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_T._Stearn
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1862:
Slavery in Washington, D.C., ended when the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act became law. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_of_Columbia_Compensated_Emancipation_Act
1945:
Second World War: British and Canadian forces concluded the Liberation of Arnhem in the Netherlands from German occupation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberation_of_Arnhem
1948:
The Organisation for European Economic Co-operation, headquartered in Paris, was founded. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OECD
2014:
The ferry MV Sewol capsized and sank off Donggeochado, South Korea, killing 306 people, mainly students from Danwon High School. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinking_of_MV_Sewol
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
sinking feeling: An unpleasant feeling in the abdomen caused by hunger or, especially, apprehension or uneasiness. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sinking_feeling
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
It is human nature to think wisely and to act in an absurd fashion. --Anatole France https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Anatole_France