Origins & Early Life

Derek Bickerton (March 25, 1926 – March 5, 2018) was an English-born American linguist, novelist, and professor at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Based on his work in creole languages in Guyana and Hawaii, he has proposed that the features of creole languages provide powerful insights into the development of language both by individuals and as a feature of the human species. He is the originator and main proponent of the language bioprogram hypothesis according to which the similarity of creoles is due to their being formed from a prior pidgin by children who all share a universal human innate grammar capacity. Bickerton also wrote several novels.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

His novels have been featured in the works of the Sun Ra Revival Post Krautrock Archestra, through spoken word and musical themes. Bickerton was born in Cheshire in 1926. A graduate of the University of Cambridge, England in 1949, Derek Bickerton entered academic life in the 1960s, first as a lecturer in English Literature at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, and then, after a year's postgraduate work in linguistics at the University of Leeds, as senior lecturer in linguistics at the University of Guyana (1967–71)...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

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

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Abdus Salam — Contemporary (Born in 1926) (1926): Pioneering Pakistani theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate.
• Alfredo Di Stéfano — Contemporary (Born in 1926) (1926): Argentine and Spanish legend, 'The Blond Arrow,' pivotal to Real Madrid's golden era.
• Allen Ginsberg — Contemporary (Born in 1926) (1926): Pioneering American poet, central figure of the Beat Generation, known for 'Howl'.
• Aretha Franklin — Contemporary (Died in 2018) (2018): The "Queen of Soul," Aretha Franklin defined American music with unparalleled vocal power.
• Atal Bihari Vajpayee — Contemporary (Died in 2018) (2018): Indian statesman and poet, served as Prime Minister of India multiple times.
• Balabhaskar — Contemporary (Died in 2018) (2018): Pioneering Indian violinist and composer known for promoting fusion music.
• A. J. P. Taylor — Shared historical date (03-25 · Born) (1906): Influential English historian specializing in 19th and 20th-century European diplomacy.
• Arturo Toscanini — Shared historical date (03-25 · Born) (1867): Intense Italian conductor, master of orchestral detail, and pivotal figure in 20th-century music.
• Alessandro Volta — Shared historical date (03-05 · Died) (1827): Pioneering Italian physicist, credited with the electric battery and electrochemistry.
• Anna Akhmatova — Shared historical date (03-05 · Died) (1966): A seminal Russian poet whose work chronicled the trauma of the Soviet era.
• 1926 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1926
• March 25 (03-25) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on March 25
• 2018 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 2018
• March 5 (03-05) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on March 5