On This Day in 1838: Naturalist & Author John Muir Was Born
April 21, 1838: On this day, John Muir was born in Dunbar, Scotland. This naturalist, explorer, conservationist and author, for whom the 550-acre Muir Woods National Monument was named, emigrated to the US from Scotland in 1849.
His activism helped to save the Yosemite Valley, Sequoia National Park and other wilderness areas. He founded the Sierra Club, which is the oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization in the United States.
To this day, his writings are influential and commonly discussed in books, journals, and environmental circles. His prose is often quoted in books by nature photographer, Ansel Adams.
Muir died in Los Angeles, California on December 24, 1914.
Below is a segment from the Ken Burns documentary "The National Parks: America's Best Idea." If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend watching it. Incredible history and beautifully edited.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010 at 9:56AM
Reader Comments (4)
Awesome! John Muir was a great man.
Very cool stuff. The Ken Burns documentary is super cool. Love you.
Happy Earth Day!
xoxo
very cool ...HAPPY EARTH DAY!!