Dr. Norman Borlaug

The man who saved billions of lives

Dr. Norman Borlaug, third from the left, trains biologists in Mexico on how to increase wheat yields - part of his life-long war on hunger.

Timeline of Dr. Borlaug's Life:

1914 - Born in Cresco, Iowa
1933 - Leaves his family's farm to attend the University of Minnesota, thanks to the "National Youth Administration"
1935 - Works in the Civilian Conservation Corps, helping starving Americans
1937 - Finishes university and takes a job in the US Forestry Service
1938 - Marries Margret Gibson; lays the groundwork for pest-resistant plants
1941 - Military service rejected; helps with applied science in his lab
1942 - Receives a Ph.D. in Genetics and Plant Pathology
1944 - Heads a new plant pathology program in Mexico, breeding disease-resistant wheat
1945 - Discovers a way to grow wheat twice each season
1953 - Creates a high-yielding strain of wheat that provides 95% of Mexico's supply
1962 - Introduces high-yielding wheat to India to combat starvation
1970 - Receives the Nobel Peace Prize
1983 - Helps African countries increase maize and sorghum yields
1984 - Becomes a distinguished professor at Texas A&M University
2005 - Advocates for genetically modified crops to double world food supply by 2050
2009 - Dies at the age of 95

"Borlaug's life and achievement are testimony to the far-reaching contribution that one man's towering intellect, persistence and scientific vision can make to human peace and progress."
-- Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

If you have time, you should read more about this incredible human being on his Wikipedia entry.