Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck was born on 1 August 1744 in Bazentin. A French naturalist, Lamarck was one of the first scientists to propose a comprehensive theory of biological evolution. A soldier in his youth, he turned to botany and became a professor of invertebrate zoology at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, where he coined the term invertebrate and the word biology in its modern sense. In his book Philosophie zoologique, he argued that species change over time, and that characteristics acquired by use or disuse could be passed on to offspring. His theory was largely overshadowed by Darwin's, but he is remembered as an important precursor.
Before and after
- 27 June 1743Battle of Dettingen
- 26 August 1743Birth of Antoine Lavoisier
- 9 December 1743Discovery of Great Comet of 1744
- 1744Rise of House of Saud
- 1 August 1744Birth of Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck
- from 7 August 1744 to 25 December 1745Second Silesian War
- 1745Founding of North Adams
- 18 February 1745Birth of Alessandro Volta
- October 1745Publication of God Save the King
More in Science & technology
- 24 February 1582Pope Gregory XIII reforms the calendar
- 1628William Harvey describes the circulation of the blood
- 1642Invention of Pascal's calculator
- 25 December 1642Birth of Isaac Newton
- 9 October 1676Leeuwenhoek discovers microorganisms
- 1735Linnaeus publishes Systema Naturae
The era
This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas. You can also browse everything in the 18th century.