January 10

Martin Lichtenstein began his career as a physician before embarking on major scientific expeditions to southern Africa from 1803 to 1806. He collected extensive zoological and botanical specimens, greatly enriching European natural history collections. Later, he became the director of the Berlin Zoological Museum, where he expanded its collections and research. Lichtenstein introduced modern scientific methods to museum curation and published influential works on African flora and fauna. His explorations and scholarly leadership helped lay the groundwork for future naturalists. He is remembered as a pioneer in combining medicine with scientific exploration.