I had never heard of this individual before today, but his work was extensive and important. On this date in 1863, Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky was born. He was a great Russian scientist who contributed to several fields of scientific study. In fact, he was one of the first to appreciate the need for specialized scientfic studies. He is considered one of the founders of geochemistry, biogeochemistry, and of radiogeology. He was also a patriotic Russian who worked in th Ukraine during the Russian civil war where he fonded the Ukranian Academy of Sciences (which exists today as the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine).
For more info:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&ei=BHUgU_zSMIzkoATJ54HACg&url=http://www.minsocam.org/ammin/am32/am32_181.pdf&cd=27&ved=0CMsBEBYwGg&usg=AFQjCNENv-Sru81wS0z210sTCD79bcutBQ&sig2=AxR2jTeKZYRI0_z0rxFJVA
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Vernadsky
