Claude Gay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Claude Gay
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| Born | 18 March 1800 Draguignan, France
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| Died | 29 November 1873 (aged 73) Flayosc, France
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| Nationality | French-Chilean |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Botany Geology History Zoology |
Claude Gay (born March 18, 1800 – died November 29, 1873) was a French scientist. He was a botanist, naturalist, and illustrator. In Spanish texts, he is often called Claudio Gay.
Claude Gay was an explorer who did some of the first studies on the plants, animals, geology, and geography of Chile. A mountain range in Chile, the Cordillera Claudio Gay, is named after him. He also helped start the Chilean National Museum of Natural History.
His Adventures and Discoveries
Claude Gay first went to Paris to study medicine. But he soon decided to study natural history instead. In 1828, he traveled to Chile. There, he taught physics and natural history at a college in Santiago.
In 1829, the Chilean government hired him. His job was to explore the country and study its nature. He collected many samples of plants, animals, and rocks.
He returned to France in 1832. He gave his amazing collections to the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle in Paris.
Claude Gay came back to Chile in 1834. He spent four more years exploring the country. After visiting Peru in 1839, he lived in Santiago. There, he wrote his huge book, Historia fisica y politica de Chile. This book was about the physical and political history of Chile.
In 1841, Chile made him a Chilean citizen. The Chilean government published his big work between 1844 and 1871.
Gay went back to France in 1843. In 1856, he became a member of the French Academy of Sciences. He traveled through Russia and Tartary from 1856 to 1858. Later, he studied mining in the United States. He returned to France in 1860. In 1863, he visited Chile one last time.
Awards and Recognition
Claude Gay received many honors for his work.
- He won the Grande Médaille d'Or des Explorations in 1845. This award was from the Société de Géographie.
- He was given the French Légion d'honneur. This is a very important award in France.
- He was a member of the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle in Paris.
- He was chosen for the French Academy of Sciences in 1856.
Many plants and animals are named after him. These include the flower Montiopsis gayana. Also, a bird called the rufous-bellied seedsnipe is known as Attagis gayi.
The journal of the Botanical Society of Chile is also named in his honor. It is called Gayana. Botánica. The Universidad de Concepción in Chile publishes it.
His Published Works
Claude Gay wrote many important books and reports.
- Noticias sobre las islas de Juan Fernandez, Valparaiso, 1840
- Historia física y política de Chile, Paris, 1844–1848
- Origine de la pomme de terre (Origin of the Potato), Paris, 1851
- Atlas de la historia física y política de Chile, Paris, 1854
- Triple variation de l'aiguille d'amiante dans les parties Ouest de l'Amerique, Paris, 1854
- Carte générale du Chili (General Map of Chile), Paris, 1855
- Considérations sur les mines du Pérou, comparées aux mines du Chili, Paris, 1855
- Notes sur le Brasil, Buenos Ayres, et Rio de Janeiro, Paris, 1856
- Rapport à l'académie des sciences sur les mines des États-Unis, Paris, 1861
See also
In Spanish: Claudio Gay para niños
