Alexander von Humboldt and Aimé Bonpland at the foot of the Chimborazo volcano, painting by Friedrich Georg Weitsch (1810). Wikimedia Commons Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) was one of the most ...

“I’ll take Alexander von Humboldt for $500, Alex.” Katie Hondorf Celebrated for his vast knowledge, competitive nature, and humble personality, Ken Jennings is known to millions as a game show ...

Frederic Edwin Church, The Natural Bridge, Virginia, 1852, oil on canvas, 28 x 23 in. The Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia, Gift of Thomas Fortune Ryan. “Alexander von Humboldt and ...

Between the 1820s and 1850s Alexander von Humboldt was one of the most widely admired public figures in the world. In the U.S., the name of this international renowned scholar has vanished from the ...

The father of nature writing, intrepid explorer, friend to revolutionaries and US presidents, Alexander von Humboldt was the original scholar adventurer. Fearlessly footloose and boundlessly curious, ...

We have all read about famous scientists who helped to shape and steer our knowledge of the world. Back in the 19th century, there were the likes of Charles Darwin, Louis Pasteur, Thomas Edison, ...

Atlas Obscura on Slate is a blog about the world’s hidden wonders. Like us on Facebook and Tumblr, or follow us on Twitter. Today, in search of a way through a constantly expanding morass of ...

Everyone from Darwin to Simón Bolívar considered the Prussian naturalist to be the foremost of his generation. By Mark Cocker In his day, Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) bestrode several important ...

Germany's greatest universal scientist had an auspicious start. Born into a respectable Prussian family, his mother arranged the best education possible, despite Berlin's provincial status and famous ...

Alexander von Humboldt is famed for his expeditions to South America and Russia. His ideas and insights inspire scientists to this day. We follow in the footsteps of this Prussian naturalist, ...