Joseph Banks

Also known as Sir Joseph Banks, 1st Baronet, Sir Joseph Banks, Banks, Sir Joseph Banks, 1st and last Bt., Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Banks, 1st and last Bt., Joseph, Sir Banks, J. Banks

English naturalist, botanist and patron of the natural sciences (1743-1820)

AI overview

Joseph Banks was an English naturalist and botanist who lived from 1743 to 1820 and became one of the most influential scientific figures of his time. He's important because he advanced botanical knowledge, supported scientific research as a patron, and helped establish Britain's scientific institutions during a period of major discovery and exploration.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Born: ( 1743-02-24 ) 24 February 1743 (13 February O.S.) , 30 Argyll Street , London, England
Died: 19 June 1820 (1820-06-19) (aged 77), Spring Grove House, Isleworth , London, England
Alma mater: Christ Church , Oxford
Known for: Voyage of HMS Endeavour , exploration of Botany Bay
Spouse: Dorothea Banks
Fields: Botany
Institutions: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Author abbrev botany: Banks
Preceded by: Sir John Pringle
Succeeded by: William Hyde Wollaston

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Instance of: human
Given name: Joseph
Family name: Banks
Gender: male
Citizenship: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Place of birth: Soho
Place of death: Isleworth
Sibling: Sarah Sophia Banks
Educated at: Eton College
Employer: British Museum
Languages spoken: English language
Award: baronet
Doctoral student: Robert Brown
Field of work: geography
Image: Banks detail.JPG
Motto: Nullius in verba
Work location: London
Residence: Soho Square

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member of: American Philosophical Society
Commons category: Joseph Banks
date of birth: 1743-02-02
date of death: 1820-06-19
described by source: Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary
Commons gallery: Joseph Banks
P6944: Joseph Banks
writing language: English language
honorific prefix: Sir
name in native language: Joseph Banks
collection items at: Bishop Museum
P12749: Breitenbrunn/Erzgebirge
Commons Creator page: Joseph Banks

Sources (6)

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Encyclopedic overview

Sir Joseph Banks, 1st Baronet (24 February [O.S. 13 February] 1743 – 19 June 1820) was an English naturalist, botanist, and patron of the natural sciences.

Banks made his name on the 1766 natural-history expedition to Newfoundland and Labrador. He took part in Captain James Cook's first great voyage (1768–1771), visiting Brazil, Tahiti, and after 6 months in New Zealand, Australia, returning to immediate fame. He held the position of president of the Royal Society for over 41 years. He advised King George III on the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, sending botanists around the world to collect plants, he made Kew the world's leading botanical garden. He is credited for bringing 30,000 plant specimens home with him; amongst them, he was the first European to document 1,400.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Joseph Banks” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.