Edvard August Vainio (1853–1929) was a Finnish lichenologist. His early works on the lichens of Lapland, his three-volume monograph on the lichen genus Cladonia, and, in particular, his study of the classification and form and structure of lichens in Brazil made Vainio renowned internationally. Vainio's earliest works dealt with phytogeography—elucidating and enumerating flora and its distribution—in the Finnish language. In these publications he demonstrated an attention to detail and thoroughness that became characteristic of his later work. Vainio described about 1700 new taxa, and published more than 100 scientific works. He made significant scientific collections of lichens, and while a herbarium curator at the University of Helsinki and the University of Turku he catalogued and processed other collections from all over the world. He has been called the Father of Brazilian Lichenology and the Grand Old Man of Lichenology.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edvard_August_Vainio

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1898:

The Southern Cross Expedition (dogsled team pictured), the first British venture of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, departed London. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Cross_Expedition

1929:

Palestine riots: Arabs began attacking Jews in Hebron, killing more than sixty people in two days. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1929_Hebron_massacre

1944:

King Michael dismissed the pro-Axis government of General Ion Antonescu, placing Romania on the side of the Allies for the remainder of World War II. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_Antonescu

2011:

A 5.8 MW earthquake struck the Piedmont region of Virginia, and was felt by more people than any other quake in U.S. history. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Virginia_earthquake

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

limn: 1. (transitive, also figuratively) To draw or paint; to delineate. 2. (transitive, obsolete) To illuminate, as a manuscript; to decorate with gold or some other bright colour. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/limn

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

It would be well if, in studying the past, we could always bear in mind the problems of the present, and go to that past to seek large views of what is of lasting importance to the human race.   --Arnold Toynbee https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Arnold_Toynbee