Miriam Rothschild facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Miriam Rothschild
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| Born |
Miriam Louisa Rothschild
5 August 1908 Ashton, Northamptonshire, England
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| Died | 20 January 2005 (aged 96) Oundle, Northamptonshire, England
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| Nationality | British |
| Known for | Research on fleas |
| Spouse(s) |
George Lane
(m. 1943; div. 1957) |
| Children | 6, including Charles Daniel Lane |
| Awards | H. H. Bloomer Award (1968) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Entomology, botany |
| Institutions |
Tertiary education:
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Dame Miriam Louisa Rothschild (born August 5, 1908 – died January 20, 2005) was a brilliant British scientist. She studied animals (zoology), insects (entomology), and plants (botany). Miriam was also a talented author. She made many important discoveries, especially about fleas and butterflies.
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Miriam's Early Life and Family
Miriam Rothschild was born in 1908 in Ashton Wold, England. Her father, Charles Rothschild, came from a famous family of bankers. He was also a scientist who discovered about 500 new types of fleas. Her uncle, Lionel Walter Rothschild, had his own natural history museum.
Miriam loved nature from a young age. By four years old, she was already collecting ladybird beetles and caterpillars. She even took a pet quail to bed!
When World War I started in 1914, Miriam was almost six. Her family was on holiday in Austria-Hungary. They rushed home safely. Miriam was taught at home until she was 17. Then she decided to go to school. She took evening classes in zoology and daytime classes in literature.
Miriam's Personal Life
During World War II, Miriam worked at Bletchley Park. This was a secret place where people broke enemy codes. She even worked with the famous mathematician Alan Turing. For her efforts, she received a Defence Medal from the British government.
Miriam also helped many Jewish children escape from Nazi Germany. She found homes for 49 children, and some even stayed at her own house. Her home also became a hospital for injured soldiers. One of these soldiers was Captain George Lane, who later became her husband. They had six children together.
Miriam cared deeply about many social issues. She supported animal welfare and worked to ensure children received free milk at school. She also helped with a report that led to making certain private adult behaviors legal.
Miriam's Amazing Research
Miriam Rothschild was a world expert on fleas. She was the first person to figure out how fleas jump so high! She also studied how fleas reproduce. She discovered that a rabbit's hormones affect the fleas living on it.
Her book, Fleas, Flukes and Cuckoos, was very popular. It taught people about different types of parasites. Miriam also helped find out that a rabbit disease called myxomatosis was spread by fleas, not mosquitoes.
The Rothschild Flea Collection
Miriam's father started a huge collection of fleas. Miriam helped complete a six-volume catalog of this collection. It took her 30 years! Today, this amazing collection is part of the Natural History Museum, London.
Studying Butterflies and Moths
Miriam also loved studying butterflies and moths. She was interested in how insects use chemicals and how they copy each other (mimicry). She built special greenhouses to watch how birds hunted butterflies.
She discovered that some insects, like the Burnet moth, make their own poisons. She also found out that the bright colors of insects come from chemicals called carotenoids found in plants. For example, Monarch butterflies get their toxicity from the milkweed plants they eat as caterpillars.
Miriam also studied how butterflies might produce antibiotics. This idea came to her after seeing an anthrax outbreak in the 1930s. Her research on this topic was published years after she passed away.
Restoring Wild Meadows
Later in her life, Miriam became very interested in restoring hay meadows. She wanted to bring back the beautiful wild flowers and plants that used to grow in these areas. She created special seed mixes on her estate. One of her mixes was even used by Prince Charles on his Highgrove Estate!
Awards and Honours
Miriam Rothschild received many awards for her important work. In 1985, she was elected a Fellow of the The Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists in Britain. In 2000, she was given the title of Dame Commander of the British Empire.
She also received honorary doctorates from eight universities, including Oxford and Cambridge.
Miriam was a pioneer for women in science. She was the first woman to be a trustee of the Natural History Museum, London. She was also the first woman president of the Royal Entomological Society.
Helping Others (Philanthropy)
Miriam Rothschild was a kind and generous person. In 1962, she started the 'Schizophrenia Research Fund'. She did this to honor her sister, Liberty, who had Schizophrenia. This charity helps people better understand and treat mental illnesses. After Miriam's death, the fund was renamed the 'Miriam Rothschild Schizophrenia Research Fund' in her memory.
Miriam also supported the Edward Adamson Collection. This collection includes thousands of artworks created by people with mental health conditions. Miriam helped house and display these artworks at her home for many years.
Images for kids
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Miriam Rothschild
See also
In Spanish: Miriam Rothschild para niños
