Alexander Logie du Toit (March 14, 1878 – February 25, 1948) was a South African geologist. March 14 is the 73rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (74th in Leap years) with 292 days remaining in the year. ... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... February 25 is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ... A geologist is a contributor to the science of geology, studying the physical structure and processes of the Earth. ...

Alexander Du Toit is remembered not only as the main baton-carrier of Wegenerian continental drift theory in the early 1900s, but as the most important geologist in the history of South Africa. A field geologist with observational and synthetic powers of the highest rank, early in the twentieth century he embarked upon a twenty year study of the geology of South Africa which produced a series of important books and articles over the later portion of that period. Securing a grant from the Carnegie Institution of Washington in 1923, he spent five months in South America familiarizing himself with the geology of Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil, and comparing this to the units in South Africa; this led the publication of his A Geological Comparison of South America with South Africa in 1927, and the even more celebrated Our Wandering Continents; An Hypothesis of Continental Drifting in 1937. Du Toit had some success in convincing Old World geologists of the possibility of continental drifting but rather less with American observers; it was not until the plate tectonics revolution of the 1960s that the quality of his vision was first fully universally acknowledged.

From 1903 to 1920 he worked for the Geological Commission of the Cape of Good Hope mapping the local geology. This work formed parts of the observational foundation of the plate tectonic theory gaining prominence during the 1960s. 1903 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... The tectonic plates of the world were mapped in the second half of the 20th century. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ...

A 75km crater on Mars at 71.8 South, 49.7 West was named in his honor. [1] Tycho crater on Earths moon. ... For the Roman god, see Mars (mythology). ...

External links

• Short biography