The column traces the development of statistical ecology from 1902 to 1969, highlighting key milestones and figures—from early significance testing and random-walk models to biodiversity indices and pioneers like Charlotte Kipling and E. C. Pielou.
statistics history
This Month in Statistics History: The Origin of Math Symbols
Penny S. Reynolds traces how today’s familiar math symbols evolved over centuries from ancient Egyptian glyphs and verbose medieval texts to standardized notation.
This Month in Statistics History: October
October has seen incredible milestones—from the birthdays of pioneers such as Évariste Galois to Florence Nightingale to the first US electronic computer.
This Month in Statistics History: August
There are many “statistically significant” birthdays in August…including the term “artificial intelligence,” coined in August 1955.
This Month in Statistics History: February
Learn about birthdays and events in the statistical world that took place in February.
This Month in Statistics History: October
Learn more about important statistical events that happened in October.
Journal of Statistics and Data Science Education: January Issue Takes on Difficult History of Statistics
The January issue of JSDSE leads with a paper that recounts the difficult past of statistics, notably the role of eugenics in the development of the field. The author argues we must confront our history to move forward and provides guidance for addressing the troubling history in the classroom.