Ten fun facts about Edward O. Wilson
Fact 1
Edward O. Wilson was born on June 10, 1929 in Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Fact 2
He received his early training in biology at the University of Alabama and passed his M.S degree in 1950.
Fact 3
A childhood accident claimed the sight in his right eye. He lost part of his hearing in adolescence. He also suffered from a mild form of dyslexia and struggled with math.
Fact 4
Wilson was not deterred with these problems. He used his good right eye to focus on tiny creatures and decided to study insects, particularly ants. He is considered to the world’s leading expert on ants.
Fact 5
He received a doctorate in biology at Harvard University in 1955 and was a member of Harvard’s biology and zoology faculties from 1956 to 1976.
Fact 6
He made a series of important discoveries in 1956 on pheromones, a chemical substance through which ants communicated primarily.
Fact 7
In 1978 he was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his book “On Human Nature”.
Fact 8
He was awarded the Crafoord Prize by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. This prize is considered to be the most prized award in the field of ecology as it is awarded in certain fields that the Nobel Prize does not cover.
Fact 9
In 2010 he released his debut novel, “Anthill”, a novel which featured both human and insect characters
Fact 10
E.O. Wilson has received more than 100 internationals awards and medals. He is currently University Research Professor Emeritus at Harvard, and Honorary Curator in Entomology of the Museum of Comparative Zoology.
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