14 November 1797 - Sir Charles Lyell, the important Scottish geologist, was born. In his seminal work, Principles of Geology, he challenged the dominant thinking of the time which was based on the biblical viewpoint.Building on the ideas of James Hutton, by careful observation he concluded that the Earth's physical features and its inhabitants were the result of continuous physical and chemical processes occurring gradually over long periods of geological time. Lyell's theory was revolutionary and infuriated the devout majority.
He later supported Charles Darwin's ideas about evolution.
You can find out more about famous Scots in Scottish Miscellany: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave, by Jonathan Green.
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