Carl Linnaeus

Linnaeus was substantially responsible for the binomial classification system for plants and animals still used today. A physician as well as scientist, he met, studied with and became a lifetime friend of Boerhaave, and started an extensive correspondence (and professional love/hate relationship) with Haller. Other significant correspondents (his network was Europe-wide) included van Swieten, Pallas, Gmelin, Müller, Amman, Lexell and Guettard — as well as his disciple Forster, his translator Darwin, and his friend and mentor Jussieu. Solander was his beloved protégé, and Artedi his brilliant young friend.