Ten fun facts about John Needham

Fact 1
He was the first Catholic priest to become a member of the Royal Society.

Fact 2
His experiments with gravy and tainted wheat showed that life could generate spontaneously.

Fact 3
He also sparked controversy with Voltaire, who claimed germs were preexisting.

Fact 4
He did research in botany, explaining the mechanics of pollen.

Fact 5
Although he was ordained in 1738, he spent a lot of his time as a tutor and teacher.

Fact 6
There is a species of plant in Australia named after him called the Needhama.

Fact 7
His experiments and theories were often doubted and attempted to be proved wrong, including refute from Lazzaro Spallanzani.

Fact 8
He was also a member of the Society of Antiquaries of London and first director of the Royal Academy of Belgium.

Fact 9
He retired from the English seminary in 1767.

Fact 10
In 1768, he became the director of the Imperial Academy in Brussels, now known as the Royal Academy of Belgium until 1780. He died in 1781.

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