Origins & Early Life

Trofim Denisovich Lysenko (Russian: Трофим Денисович Лысенко; Ukrainian: Троxим Денисович Лисенко, romanized: Trokhym Denysovych Lysenko, IPA: [troˈxɪm deˈnɪsowɪtʃ lɪˈsɛnko]; 29 September [O.S. 17 September] 1898 – 20 November 1976) was a Soviet agronomist. He rejected Mendelian genetics in favour of his own idiosyncratic, pseudoscientific ideas later termed Lysenkoism. In 1940, Lysenko became director of the Institute of Genetics of the Soviet Academy of Sciences, and he used his political influence and power to suppress dissenting opinions and discredit, marginalize, and imprison his critics, elevating his anti-Mendelian theories to state-sanctioned doctrine.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Soviet scientists who refused to renounce genetics were dismissed from their posts and left destitute. Several were imprisoned including the botanist Nikolai Vavilov. Lysenko's ideas and practices contributed to lower agricultural yields in the Soviet Union throughout the late 1930s until his downfall in the mid-1960s; and found political and academic influence in other Eastern Bloc countries and China from the late 1940s through the mid-1950s. The son of Denis Nikanorovich and Oksana Fominichna Lysenko...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

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

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Barbara Hendricks — Shared historical date (11-20 · Born) (1948): Acclaimed American lyric soprano known for opera and jazz performances.
• Benedetto Croce — Shared historical date (11-20 · Died) (1952): Italian idealist philosopher, historian, and political liberal.
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