E. O. Wilson

10 June 1929 – 26 December 2021

Edward Osborne Wilson was an American biologist and writer, the leading authority of his era on ants and a founder of the fields of sociobiology and island biogeography. He spent his career at Harvard University, where he wrote The Insect Societies and Sociobiology: The New Synthesis, and he later campaigned for biodiversity conservation. He received two Pulitzer Prizes for general nonfiction.

Comparing
Compare

Lived at the same time

Well-documented people whose lives overlapped with E. O. Wilson.

Life events

Born in Birmingham, Alabama
10 June 1929
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Birth ✓
Graduated from the University of Alabama
1949

Took bachelor's and master's degrees in biology.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Education ✓
Earned a doctorate in biology at Harvard University
1955

His research focused on the taxonomy and behaviour of ants.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Education ✓
Married Irene Kelley
1955
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Relationship ✓
Joined the Harvard University faculty
1956

Remained at Harvard for the rest of his career.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Career ✓
Published The Theory of Island Biogeography with Robert MacArthur
1967

The book set out a quantitative theory of species richness on islands.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Achievement ✓
Published Sociobiology: The New Synthesis
1975

The book argued for evolutionary explanations of social behaviour and prompted extensive debate.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Career ✓
Won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction for On Human Nature
1979
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Achievement ✓
Won a second Pulitzer Prize for The Ants
1991

Written with Bert Hölldobler.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Achievement ✓
Died in Burlington, Massachusetts
26 December 2021
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Death ✓