Adolphe Quetelet

Pioneering Belgian statistician, founder of anthropometry, and social scientist.

Chronology: 1796-02-22 – 1874-02-17

Origins & Early Journey

Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet (French: [kətlɛ] ; 22 February 1796 – 17 February 1874) was a Belgian astronomer, mathematician, statistician, and sociologist who founded and directed the Brussels Observatory and was influential in introducing statistical methods to the social sciences. His name is sometimes spelled with an accent as Quételet. He also founded the science of anthropometry and developed the body mass index (BMI) scale, originally called the Quetelet Index. His work on measuring human characteristic to determine the ideal l'homme moyen ("the average man") played a key role in the origins of eugenics.

Innovation & Iconic Era

== Life == Adolphe was born in Ghent (which, at the time, was part of the new French Republic). He was the son of François-Augustin-Jacques-Henri Quetelet, a Frenchman, and Anne Françoise Vandervelde, a Flemish woman. His father was born at Ham, Picardy, and being of a somewhat adventurous spirit, he crossed the English Channel and became a British citizen and the secretary of a Scottish nobleman. In that capacity, he traveled with his employer on the Continent, particularly spending time in Italy. At about 31, he settled in Ghent and was employed by the city, where Adolphe...

Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Source: Wikipedia