Dr Norman Borlaug

Here's a time line of Dr Borlaug's life:

• 1914: Born in Cresco, Iowa
• 1933: Leaves his family's farm to attend the University of Minnesota, thanks to a Depression era program known as the "National Youth administration"
• 1935: Has to stop school and save up more money. Work in the Civilisan Conservation Corps, helping starving Americans. "I saw how food changed them", he said. "All of this left scars on me."
• 1937: Finishes up university and takes up a job in the US Forestry Service.
• 1938: Marries wife of 69 years Margret Gibson. Gets laid off due to budget cuts. Inspired by Elvin Charles Stakman, he returns to school study under Stakman, who teaches him about breeding pest-resistent plants.
• 1941: Tries to enrol in the military after the Pearl Habor attack, but is rejeced. Instead, the military askes his lat to work on waterproof glue, DT to control malaria, disinfectants, and other applied science.
• 1942: Receives a Ph.D. in Genetics and Plan Pathology
• 1944: Rejects a 100% salary increase from Dupont, leaves behind his pregnant wife, and flies to Mexico to head a new plant pathology program. Over the next 16 years, his team breeds 6,000 different strains of disease resistent wheat - including ifferent varieties for each major climate on Earth.
• 1945: Discovers a way to grow wheat twice a season, doubling wheat yields
• 1953: Cross a short, sturdy dwarf breed of wheat with a high-yielding American breed, creating a strain that responds well to fertilizer. It goes on to provide 95% of Mexico's wheat.
• 1962: Visits Delhi and brings high-yielding strains of wheat to the Indian subcontinent in time to help mitigate mass starvationdue to a rapidly expanding population.
• 1970: Receives the Nobel Peace Prize
• 1983: Helps seven African countries dramatically increase their maize and sorghum yields
• 1984: Becomes a distinguished professor at Texas A&M University
• 2005: States "we will have to double the world food supply by 2050." Argues that genetically modified crops are the only way we can meet the demand, as we run out of arable land. Says that GM crops are not inherently dangerous because "we've been genetically modifying plants and animals for a long time. Long before we called it science, people were selecting the best breeds."
• 2009: Dies at the age of 95.

"Borlaug's life and achievement are testimony to the far-reaching contribution that one man's towering intellect, persistence and scientific vision can make to human peace and progress."

-- Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh