1769-1859
Naturalist, Traveler And Statesmen

Early Life and Career. Alexander von Humboldt was born in Berlin, the son of a Prussian military officer. His older brother Wilhelm became a famous linguist. Alexander attended the University of Gottingen and then studied at the School of Mines in Freiburg. In 1795 he was appointed supervisor in chief in the Prussian Department of Mines in Berlin. Enriched by an inheritance upon his mother's death in 1796, Humboldt resigned his post in the government and prepared for his five-year exploration of Latin America with the French botanist Aime Bonpland.

Voyages and Books. Humboldt and Bonpland voyaged up the Orinoco River in Venezuela and climbed the Andes of Columbia, Equador and Peru, recording botanical and biological data gathered along the way. Later they explored central Mexico and Cuba. Their voyages gained renown, and on their way back to Europe, Humboldt visited Philadelphia...