Tomitaro Makino

Tomitaro Makino was a pioneer Japanese botanist noted for his taxonomic work. He has been called "Father of Japanese Botany", having been one of the first Japanese botanists to work extensively on classifying Japanese plants using the system developed by Linnaeus. His research resulted in documenting 50,000 specimens, many of which are represented in his Makino's Illustrated Flora of Japan. Despite having dropped out of grammar school, he eventually attained a Doctor of Science degree, and his birthday is remembered as Botany Day in Japan.

24 April 1862

Born on the same birth day (24 April): Doug Clifford • Jan Vertonghen • John de Mol Jr. • Lee Westwood • Marc-Adélard Tremblay • Paula Yates • Peter Cresswell (judge) • Ryan Whitney (actress) • Sabina of Bavaria • Shirley MacLaine • Simon Tischer

Born in the same month (April 1862): Charles Evans Hughes • Edmund C. Tarbell • Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon • Leo Stern • Louis Ganne • Nicholas Murray Butler • William Wallace Campbell