Dr. Norman Borlaug
The man who saved a billion lives
Here's a time line of Dr. Borlaug's life:
- 1914 - Born in Cresco, Iowa
- 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.
- 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.
- 1970 - receives the Nobel Peace Prize
- 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 - Died in his london flat at 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