When was Harry Hess born?

Harry Hess: The Day a Geological Giant Was Born

May 24th, 1906. Mark that date! That’s when Harry Hammond Hess, a true game-changer in geology, entered the world in New York City. Can you imagine the impact this guy would have? His dad, Julian S. Hess, was a stockbroker, and his mom, Elizabeth Engel Hess, had a real soft spot for the arts. Talk about a diverse upbringing!

Growing up, Hess went to Asbury Park High School in New Jersey. Then, in ’23, he headed to Yale, initially thinking he’d become an electrical engineer. Funny how things work out, isn’t it? He switched gears and earned a geology degree. Apparently, he hit a snag with mineralogy at first, but he didn’t let that stop him. Good thing, because geology was clearly his calling!

Hess’s legacy is HUGE, way beyond just his birthday. He’s the guy who really nailed down seafloor spreading, which, let’s face it, is key to understanding continental drift. But get this: World War II played a part! As a Naval officer, he gathered crucial data that backed up his theories. Talk about being in the right place at the right time. He used sonar to map the ocean floor and discovered these weird, flat-topped underwater volcanoes. He called them “guyots.” Pretty cool, huh?

But wait, there’s more! Hess also chipped in to the US space program, leading the Space Science Board in ’62. The man was everywhere! For most of his career, he stayed put at Princeton, shaping the minds of future geologists. Honestly, Hess’s work still shapes how we understand our ever-changing planet. He really left his mark.