January 6, 1884: Pea Picking 101

Gregor Mendel was a friar/scientist/pea picker born in Austria in 1822. Had he been born later he would have been a Czech friar/scientist/pea picker since the part of Austria in which he was born is now the Czech Republic. He is remembered today for minding his peas and cukes, and even has a law named after him.

Gregor had this strange fascination with the propagation of peas. This and his inquiring mind led him to crossbreed short plump green peas with tall skinny yellow peas. Well wasn’t he surprised when all the little baby peas from this union were tall, skinny and yellow. He pondered this at great length and eventually had a forehead-slapping moment.

“Peas have genes!” he probably shouted. (Jeans, on the other hand, were just a twinkle in Levi Strauss’ eyes at the time.) Not only did peas have genes; some of them were dominant and some were recessive — just like kids on a playground or in the House of Representatives.

As any dominant kid of five knows, Mendel’s pea play became the science of genetics and Mendel became (posthumously) the father of same. He died on January 6, 1884, eleven years after the birth of blue jeans.

Elementary, my dear Mendel

Consulting detective Sherlock Holmes, a master of observation and deduction was born on January 6, 1854. The greatest detective in history, he has been depicted in more than 25,000 stories, plays and films. Guinness lists him as the “most portrayed movie character” of all time. His legion of fanatical fans — Sherlockians, Holmesians and Baker Street Babes — celebrate the day annually.  Holmes would have approved of Mendel’s scientific methods.

Many other fictional detectives have vied for our attention over the years.  And while not as versed in scientific methodology as Sherlock, they all could turn a catchy phrase now and then:

“The truth must be quite plain, if one could just clear away the litter.” — Jane Marple

“I don’t mind your showing me your legs. They’re very swell legs and it’s a pleasure to make their acquaintance. —Phillip Marlowe

‘And when you’re slapped you’ll take it and like it.’ — Sam Spade

“Because I am Hercule Poirot! I do not need to be told.”

“It was a Friday night. I was tooling home from the Mexican border in a light blue convertible and a dark blue mood.” –Lew Archer

‘All right, talk, but do you mind putting the gun away? My wife doesn’t care, but I’m pregnant.” — Nick Charles

“(Nero) Wolfe still paid no attention to me. As a matter of fact, I didn’t expect him to, since he was busy taking exercise. He had recently got the impression he weighed too much- which was about the same as if the Atlantic Ocean had decided it was too wet…” — Archie Goodwin

“Have two ears, but can only hear one thing at time.” — Charlie Chan