Thomas Henry Huxley

Thomas Henry Huxley (1825-1895) was a famous zoologist, lecturer, and writer. He was one of the first to be convinced by Charles Darwin's analysis of organic evolution, and he extended and defended it. Through his lectures, writings, and committees, Huxley helped advance scientific thought.
His writings include Evidence as to Man's Place in Nature (1863), Critiques and Addresses (1873), and A Manual of the Anatomy of Invertebrated Animals (1877). His essay "On a Piece of Chalk" (1868) and his essay demonstrating changes in the feet of fossil horses are outstanding.
Many of Huxley's expressions became famous. He introduced the word agnostic to describe one who believes that the existence of God or a spiritual world cannot be proved. He coined the word biogenesis to emphasize that life arises only from previous life.
Huxley was born near London, and studied by himself until he entered medical school. He became a surgeon in the British navy and spent four years in the Indian Ocean and East Indies. He wrote a pioneering account of jellyfishes, and returned to England to find that he had become famous as a zoologist. From 1854 to 1885, he taught natural history at the Royal School of Mines. He served as president of the Royal Society from 1881 to 1885.