Dr. Norman Borlaug
The man who saved a billion lives
Dr. Norman Borlaug, third from the left, trains biologists in Mexico on
how to increase wheat yields - part of his life-long war on hunger.
Here's a time line of Dr. Borlaug's life:
- 1914 - Born in Cresco, Iowa
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1933 - Leaves his family's farm to attend the University of
Minnesota, thanks to a Depression era program known as the "National
Youth Administration"
-
1935 - Has to stop school and save up more money. Works in the
Civilian Conservation Corps, helping starving Americans. "I saw how food
changed them", he said. "All of this left scars on me."
-
1937 - Finishes university and takes a job in the US Forestry
Service
-
1938 - Marries wife of 69 years Margret Gibson. Gets laid off
due to budget cuts. Inspired by Elvin Charles Stakman, he returns to
school study under Stakman, who teaches him about breeding
pest-resistent plants.
-
1941 - Tries to enroll in the military after the Pearl Harbor
attack, but is rejected. Instead, the military asked his lab to work on
waterproof glue, DDT to control malaria, disinfectants, and other
applied science.
- 1942 - Receives a Ph.D. in Genetics and Plant Pathology
-
1944 - Rejects a 100% salary increase from Dupont, leaves behind
his pregnant wife, and flies to Mexico to head a new plant pathology
program. Over the next 16 years, his team breeds 6,000 different strains
of disease resistent wheat - including different varieties for each
major climate on Earth.
-
1945 -Discovers a way to grown wheat twice each season, doubling
wheat yields
-
1953 -crosses a short, sturdy dwarf breed of wheat with a
high-yeidling American breed, creating a strain that responds well to
fertilizer. It goes on to provide 95% of Mexico's wheat.
-
1962 -Visits Delhi and brings his high-yielding strains of wheat
to the Indian subcontinent in time to help mitigate mass starvation due
to a rapidly expanding population
- 1970 -receives the Nobel Peace Prize
-
1983 -helps seven African countries dramatically increase their
maize and sorghum yields
-
1984 -becomes a distinguished professor at Texas A&M University
-
2005 -states "we will have to double the world food supply by
2050." Argues that genetically modified crops are the only way we can
meet the demand, as we run out of arable land. Says that GM crops are
not inherently dangerous because "we've been genetically modifying
plants and animals for a long time. Long before we called it science,
people were selecting the best breeds."
- 2009 -dies at the age of 95.
"Borlaug's life and achievement are testimony to the far-reaching
contribution that one man's towering intellect, persistence and
scientific vision can make to human peace and progress."
-- Indian Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh
If you have time, you should read more about this incredible human being on his Wikipedia entry.
