Norman Ernest Borlaug

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Norman Ernest Borlaug

Birthdate:
Birthplace: Cresco, Howard County, Iowa, United States
Death: September 12, 2009 (95)
Dallas, Dallas County, Texas, United States (Lymphoma)
Immediate Family:

Son of Henry Oliver Borlaug and Clara Borlaug
Husband of Margaret Borlaug
Father of Private; Scotty Borlaug and Private
Brother of Pamela Lillian Behrens; Charlotte Olga Culbert and Helen Borlaug

Occupation: American biologist, humanitarian
Managed by: Yigal Burstein
Last Updated:
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Immediate Family

About Norman Ernest Borlaug

Burial record:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/41914147/norman-ernest-borlaug

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Norman Ernest Borlaug (March 25, 1914 – September 12, 2009) was an American biologist, humanitarian and Nobel laureate who has been called "the father of the Green Revolution", "agriculture's greatest spokesperson" and "The Man Who Saved A Billion Lives". He is one of seven people to have won the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal and was also awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honour.

Borlaug received his B.Sc. Biology in 1937 and Ph.D. in plant pathology and genetics from the University of Minnesota in 1942. He took up an agricultural research position in Mexico, where he developed semi-dwarf, high-yield, disease-resistant wheat varieties.

During the mid-20th century, Borlaug led the introduction of these high-yielding varieties combined with modern agricultural production techniques to Mexico, Pakistan, and India. As a result, Mexico became a net exporter of wheat by 1963. Between 1965 and 1970, wheat yields nearly doubled in Pakistan and India, greatly improving the food security in those nations. These collective increases in yield have been labeled the Green Revolution, and Borlaug is often credited with saving over a billion people worldwide from starvation. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 in recognition of his contributions to world peace through increasing food supply.

Later in his life, he helped applying these methods of increasing food production in Asia and Africa.

Notable awards

  • Nobel Peace Prize (1970)
  • Presidential Medal of Freedom (1977)
  • ForMemRS (1987)[2]
  • Vannevar Bush Award (2000)
  • Public Welfare Medal (2002)
  • National Medal of Science (2004)
  • Congressional Gold Medal (2006)
  • Padma Vibhushan (2006)
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Norman Ernest Borlaug's Timeline

1914
March 25, 1914
Cresco, Howard County, Iowa, United States
2009
September 12, 2009
Age 95
Dallas, Dallas County, Texas, United States
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