1914 - Born in Cresco, Iowa

1933 - Leaves his family's farm to attend the University of Minnesota, thanks
to a Depression era program known as the "National Youth Administration"

1935 - Has to stop school and save up more money. Works in the Civilian
Conservation Corps, helping starving Americans. "I saw how food
changed them", he said. "All of this left scars on me."

1937 - Finishes university and takes a job in the US Forestry Service

1938 - Marries wife of 69 years Margret Gibson. Gets laid off due to budget
cuts. Inspired by Elvin Charles Stakman, he returns to school study
under Stakman, who teaches him about breeding pest-resistent plants.

1941 - Tries to enroll in the military after the Pearl Harbor attack, but is
rejected. Instead, the military asked his lab to work on waterproof glue, DDT
to control malaria, disinfectants, and other applied science.

1942 - Receives a Ph.D. in Genetics and Plant Pathology

1944 - Rejects a 100% salary increase from Dupont, leaves behind his
pregnant wife, and flies to Mexico to head a new plant pathology program.
Over the next 16 years, his team breeds 6,000 different strains of disease
resistent wheat - including different varieties for each major climate on Earth.

1945 - Discovers a way to grown wheat twice each season, doubling wheat
yields

1953 - crosses a short, sturdy dwarf breed of wheat with a high-yeidling
American breed, creating a strain that responds well to fertilizer. It goes on to
provide 95% of Mexico's wheat.

1962 - Visits Delhi and brings his high-yielding strains of wheat to the Indian
subcontinent in time to help mitigate mass starvation due to a rapidly
expanding population

1970 - receives the Nobel Peace Prize

1983 - helps seven African countries dramatically increase their maize and
sorghum yields

1984 - becomes a distinguished professor at Texas A&M University

2005 - states "we will have to double the world food supply by 2050." Argues
that genetically modified crops are the only way we can meet the demand, as
we run out of arable land. Says that GM crops are not inherently dangerous
because "we've been genetically modifying plants and animals for a long time. Long
before we called it science, people were selecting the best breeds."

2009 - dies at the age of 95.

"Borlaug's life and achievement are testimony to the far-reaching
contribution that one man's towering intellect, persistence and
scientific vision can make to human peace and progress."

-- Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh