The Resume

(November 1, 1880-November 1930)
Born in Berlin, Germany
Geologist and meteorologist
Developed the theory of continental drift that all the continents were once joined in a single landmass and have since drifted apart
Wrote 'The Origin of Continents and Oceans' (1915)
Died during a meteorological expedition to Greenland

Why he might be annoying:

The idea of continental drift had been proposed earlier by Abraham Ortelius (1596) and Alexander von Humboldt (1801), among others.
He never came up with a plausible mechanism for the continents moving, so most contemporary scientists resisted his theory.
He did not live long enough to see his ideas vindicated.
He was a heavy smoker, which, coupled with overexertion during his Arctic expeditions, contributed to his death from heart failure.
Promoters of pseudoscientific woo like to use Wegener's initial rejection to argue that scientists are too hidebound to look at new ideas with an open mind.

Why he might not be annoying:

As a meteorologist, he pioneered the use of weather balloons to track air masses.
His 'Thermodynamics of the Atmosphere' became a standard meteorlogical textbook.
He developed the theory of continental drift independently and provided fossil evidence to support it.
In the 1950s and 60s, the discovery of seafloor spreading led to the acceptance of continental drift (slightly modified into plate tectonics).
He had a peninsula in Greenland, craters on Mars and the Moon, and an asteroid named after him.

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• 20th Century Scientists
• An Asteroid was Named in My Honor (Ranked: 29227)
• Born in Berlin, Germany
• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 33] (Ranked: 30349)
• Celebrities Born on the Same Date [November] (Ranked: 11011880)
• I Attended Heidelberg University
• I Died in 1930 (Ranked: 50)
• I Earned a Doctorate
• Look at Me, I'm Postage
• Look at Me, I've Been Caught Smoking
• Profiles 30251-30500 (Ranked: 30349)
• Scientists

Year In Review:

In 2022, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 5 Votes: 80.0% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 14 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 17 Votes: 52.94% Annoying
In 2013, Out of 8 Votes: 62.50% Annoying
In 2012, Out of 20 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
In 2011, Out of 13 Votes: 38.46% Annoying
In 2010, Out of 25 Votes: 72.00% Annoying