Today in Writing History January 19, 1829: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's “Faust: The First Part of the Tragedy” premiered. It’s the story of a scientist who makes a pact with the devil to gain power and knowledge. It took him 37 years to complete the play. Goethe also published scientific works on anatomy and botany. In the late 1700s, he wrote that variation in plants and animals was due to descent from common ancestors. This idea later influenced Darwin, who also credited Goethe with discovering the intermaxillary bone. Goethe’s novel, “Sorrows of Young Werther,” led to a suicide craze in Europe.
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