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This month’s update, introduced by William Whyte, contains thirteen new and seven updated lives, with a special focus on lexicographers, English literature scholars, and social scientists.
Featured
Klug, Sir Aaron (1926–2018), physicist
Born in Lithuania in August 1926, the molecular biologist Sir Aaron Klug was based in Cambridge for most of his life. He won a Nobel prize in chemistry in 1982 for his use of electron tomography to produce three-dimensional images of viruses. His discovery of zinc fingers, which initiate the transcription of RNA, forms the basis of gene therapy. He became president of the Royal Society and a member of the Order of Merit.
Featured
Boyle [née Noel], Juliana, countess of Burlington and Cork (1672–1750), courtier and patron of the arts
Likely born at North Ruffenham, Rutland, in May 1672, Juliana Boyle, countess of Burlington and Cork established the reputation of her London home, Burlington House as a hub of architectural patronage and artistic creativity, setting an example for her son, Richard Boyle, who became one of the greatest cultural patrons of the eighteenth century. She regularly hosted the writers Alexander Pope and John Gay, and the physician and satirist John Arbuthnot, while opera also thrived under her auspices.