Tuesday, February 14, 2006
This Day in Late Enlightenment History
On this day in 1779, Captain James Cook is killed by hulking big Polynesian cannibals in Hawaii. Cook, an explorer and first of the scientific navigators, who took botanist Joseph Banks with him to categorize the plants (and animals) his men discovered, was a legend among British sailors for the next century after his death. Largely forgotten today, Cook rightly deserves praise for his rigorous observations, bold sailing skills, and enlightened view of his discoveries.
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 7:28 AM 
