Ernst Heinrich Philipp August Haeckel (February 16, 1834 — August 9, 1919), also written von Haeckel, was an eminent German biologist, naturalist, philosopher, physician, professor and artist who discovered, described and named thousands of new species, mapped a genealogical tree relating all life forms, and coined many terms in biology, including phylum, phylogeny, ecologyProtista. Haeckel promoted and popularized Charles Darwin'sGermany and developed the controversial recapitulation theoryontogeny, parallels and summarizes its species' entire evolutionary development, or phylogeny. and the kingdom work in ("ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny") claiming that an individual organism's biological development, or
The published artwork of Haeckel includes over 100 detailed, multi-colour illustrations of animals and sea creatures (see: Kunstformen der Natur, "Artforms of Nature"). As a philosopher, Ernst Haeckel wrote Die WelträthselThe Riddle of the Universe, 1901), the genesis for the term "world riddle" (Welträthsel); and Freedom in Science and Teaching (1895-1899, in English, to support teaching evolution.
In the United States, Mount Haeckel, a 13,418 ftm) summit in the Eastern Sierra Nevada, overlooking the Evolution Basin, is named in his honor, as are another Mount Haeckel, a 2,941 m (9,650 ft) summit in New Zealand; and the asteroid 12323 Häckel. (4,090
Ernst Haeckel was born on February 16, 1834, in Potsdam (then part of Prussia).  In 1852, Haeckel completed studies at Cathedral High School (Domgymnasium) of Merseburg. He then studied medicine in Berlin, particularly with Albert von Kölliker, Franz Leydig, Rudolf VirchowJohannes Peter Müller (1801-1858). In 1857, Haeckel attained a doctorate in medicine (M.D.), and afterwards he received a license to practice medicine. The occupation of physician appeared less worthwhile to Haeckel, after contact with suffering patients. (with whom he later worked briefly as assistant), and with anatomist-physiologist
Haeckel studied under Carl Gegenbaur at the University of Jena for three years, earning a doctorate in zoology, before becoming a professor of comparative anatomy at the University of Jena, where he remained 47 years, from 1862-1909. Between 1859 and 1866, Haeckel worked on many invertebrate groups, including radiolarians, poriferans (sponges) and annelids During a trip to the Mediterranean, Haeckel named nearly 150 new species of radiolarians.  Haeckel named thousands of new species from 1859 to 1887.  (segmented worms).
From 1866 to 1867, Haeckel made an extended journey to the Canary Islands and during this period, met with Charles Darwin, in 1866 at Down House in Kent, Thomas Huxley and Charles Lyell. In 1867, he married Agnes Huschke. Their son Walter was born in 1868, their daughters Elizabeth in 1871 and Emma in 1873. In 1869, he traveled as a researcher to Norway, in 1871 to Dalmatia, and in 1873 to Egypt, Turkey, and to Greece. Haeckel retired from teaching in 1909, and in 1910 he withdrew from the Evangelical church. Haeckel's wife, Agnes, died in 1915, and Ernst Haeckel became substantially more frail, with a broken leg (thigh) and broken arm. He sold the mansion Medusa ("Villa Medusa") in 1918 to the Carl Zeiss foundation.August 9, 1919. Ernst Haeckel died on August 9, 1919.
Found Here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Haeckel