Carl Linnaeus

Carl Linnaeus was born in Sweden in 1707. He loved plants when he was a little boy. He grew up to be a doctor and scientist. He made a system to give every plant and animal a two-part name. His system is still used today.

Naming Living Things

Before Linnaeus, people used long, messy names for plants. Linnaeus gave each one just two Latin names. For example, a lion is called 'Panthera leo.' This made it easy for scientists to talk about animals and plants. His system is called binomial nomenclature.

His Garden and Books

Linnaeus collected plants from all over the world. He had a big garden and studied each one. He wrote many books about nature. Students came from far away to learn from him. He is often called the 'father of taxonomy.'

Fun Facts

• He gave humans the name 'Homo sapiens.'
• He sent students on trips around the world to find new plants.
• His house in Sweden is now a museum you can visit.

Did You Know?

Thanks to Linnaeus, scientists everywhere use the same names for plants and animals, no matter what language they speak.