Sir Christopher Wren: A great architect

If you are a regular reader of the Junior Observer, you may remember reading about St. Paul's Cathedral in London. You may even remember reading that this great building was designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Today, we will tell you more about this person, who was known as one of the greatest architects and designers in the world.

Wren was born in 1632, as the son of the Dean of Windsor. He had a privileged upbringing, and as his father was the king's chaplain, he spent his time at Windsor Castle playing with the king's son, who was later crowned as Charles II.

The boy's learning skills were evident from a young age. He was educated at Westminster and Wadham College, Oxford, and became a Fellow of All Souls College, where he was famous for mathematics and physics. At Wadham, he experimented with opium so that it can be used by doctors to perform lengthy surgeries. He also succeeded in transferring blood from one dog to another with the use of a syringe.

Although he was more famous as an architect, his talents were not confined to this. In fact, his career started elsewhere. Perfecting the working barometer was his first contribution to the world.

Before turning 17, Wren had invented a machine that writes in the dark, a pneumatic engine, a deaf and dumb language and a weather clock. He also became Professor of Astronomy at Gresham College, London.

His interest in architecture may have been kindled after reading the book 'On Architecture' by the famous Roman architect Vitruvius. It was further boosted after his visit to the ruins of the Theatre of Marcellus in Rome, in 1663, where he studied the plans of the original buildings. He referred to these plans later, when he was asked to design a theatre for Oxford College. His architectural career began in 1661 when Charles II appointed him as assistant to the royal architect. He was named royal architect in 1669, which position he held for 45 years.

Wren was responsible for the formation of the Royal Society of London for Promoting Natural Knowledge in 1662, with other mathematicians, scientists and scholars. His plans to rebuild London after the Great Fire of 1666 were never implemented, but 52 churches based on these designs were built between 1670 and 1711.

The dome of St. Paul's Cathedral, the second largest dome in the world, is his most famous creation. The cathedral took 35 years to build and Wren was 66 at its completion. His other masterpieces include the Royal Exchange, College of Physicians, Chelsea Hospital, Royal Naval College, Custom House, Drury Lane Theatre and some buildings of the Temple, London.

His designs, which still exist, exude elegance, order, clarity and dignity. They are known for their unique designs and spires. Wren was knighted in 1675. He died in 1723, and was the first to be buried at the St. Paul's Cathedral.

Jane Goodall: The Chimpanzee Lady

You would have read a lot about chimpanzees in the Nature Trail pages of the Junior Observer. Have you ever wondered how we came to know about the behaviour of these creatures living in the wilds? Most of this knowledge about man's closest relative is now at our fingertips, thanks to Dr Jane Goodall, the famous primatologist, scientist, chimp researcher and observer.

Jane Goodall was born on April 3, 1934 in London, and grew up in Bournemouth on the southern coast of England. She was interested in animals from a young age and her interest in primates may have been aroused by the toy chimp, named Jubilee in honour of a baby chimp born at the London Zoo, that she had got as a present, on her second birthday. Her interest in wildlife was also rekindled by books such as The Story of Dr Doolittle, Tarzan and The Jungle Book, and by the time she was about 10 years old, she was dreaming of going to Africa, to live with animals.

She got this opportunity when a school friend invited her to Kenya. Encouraged by her mother, she made this trip by boat at the age of 23, and was hired by the renowned paleontologist and anthropologist Dr Louis Leakey, who was impressed with her knowledge about Africa and wildlife.

They went on a fossil-hunting expedition. Later, she started exploring the possibility of studying chimpanzees at the Gombe Stream Reserve on the bank of Lake Tanganyika, Tanzania.

Her ground-breaking work with the primates of Gombe started in 1960, where she observed and documented their social organisation. She noted for the first time, that chimpanzees possessed tool-making skills, and also, that they ate meat.

Goodall obtained a PhD in Ethnology (study of behavioral sciences) from Cambridge University, went back to Tanzania and set up the Gombe Stream Research Centre. She's known as the 'Einstein of behavioral sciences' and is affectionately known as the 'Chimpanzee Lady'. She also broke the accepted tradition at the time of giving numbers to scientific subjects, by calling the chimps by various names.

Goodall as well as the Jane Goodall Institute set up by her have done much towards the conservation of chimpanzees in the wilds, and providing better conditions for them at zoos, labs and circuses. This institute, founded in 1977, encourages people to make a difference in the lives of animals by creating a healthy ecosystem, promoting sustainable livelihoods and by nurturing a generation of committed citizens around the world.

Among the many awards she has won are, the Encyclopaedia Britannica Award, Japan's Kyoto Prize, Medal of Tanzania, National Geographic Society's Hubbard Medal, Prince of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research 2003, Benjamin Franklin Award for Life Science and Gandhi/King Award for Non-violence. She has written many books, while many other works have been created on her life and work. She was also named as a UN Messenger of Peace by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in April 2002.

Dr Jane Goodall now continues her lecturing activities, sharing her message of hope, and encouraging the young to make a difference in the lives of all beings.