Linnean Society of London
150px | |
Formation | 1788 |
---|---|
Founder | James Edward Smith |
Type | Learned society |
Headquarters | Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, England |
Membership | 2,000+ |
Official language | English |
President | Sandra Knapp |
The Linnean Society of London is a learned society dedicated to the study of natural history, including botany, zoology, and taxonomy. Founded in 1788, it is the world's oldest active biological society. The society is named after the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus, who is known for his work in taxonomy and for developing the binomial nomenclature system for naming organisms.
History[edit | edit source]
The Linnean Society was founded by James Edward Smith on 18 March 1788. Smith purchased the collections and library of Carl Linnaeus and brought them to London. The society was granted a Royal Charter in 1802. The society's headquarters are located at Burlington House in Piccadilly, London.
Activities[edit | edit source]
The Linnean Society promotes the study of natural history through various activities, including:
- Organizing lectures and conferences
- Publishing scientific journals such as the Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, the Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, and the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
- Awarding medals and prizes for excellence in the field of natural history, such as the Linnean Medal
- Maintaining a library and collections of historical and scientific importance
Membership[edit | edit source]
Membership to the Linnean Society is open to anyone with an interest in natural history. Members are known as Fellows and are entitled to use the post-nominal letters FLS (Fellow of the Linnean Society).
Collections[edit | edit source]
The society's collections include:
- The original specimens and library of Carl Linnaeus
- Manuscripts, books, and illustrations related to natural history
- A herbarium with over 14,000 plant specimens
Presidents[edit | edit source]
The society has had many notable presidents, including:
- James Edward Smith (1788–1828)
- Joseph Dalton Hooker (1861–1873)
- David Attenborough (1991–1996)
- Sandra Knapp (current)
See also[edit | edit source]
Related pages[edit | edit source]
- Biological Journal of the Linnean Society
- Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society
- Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
- Linnean Medal
- James Edward Smith
- Carl Linnaeus
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia |
Let Food Be Thy Medicine Medicine Thy Food - Hippocrates |
Translate this page: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
தமிழ்,
తెలుగు,
Urdu,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
বাংলা
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
Greek,
português do Brasil,
polski,
română,
русский,
Nederlands,
norsk,
svenska,
suomi,
Italian
Middle Eastern & African
عربى,
Turkish,
Persian,
Hebrew,
Afrikaans,
isiZulu,
Kiswahili,
Other
Bulgarian,
Hungarian,
Czech,
Swedish,
മലയാളം,
मराठी,
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
ગુજરાતી,
Portuguese,
Ukrainian
WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD