Milutin Milankovic (1879 – 1958) one of the most significant scientists of 20th century

Milutin Milankovic was born in 1879 in the village Dalj (near Osijek, Croatia). After finishing secondary school in Osijek he graduated construction sciences and obtained his doctoral degree in Vienna. Milankovic gave three fundamental contributions to science: a) astronomical theories of climate change b) theory of the movement of Earth’s poles and c) revised Julian calendar. His most significant publication is the book ‘Canon of Insolation of Earth’(1941.).Milankovic’s theory of climate and the origin of glacial epochs (in science known as Milankovic’s cycles) were not verified until 1976 when empirical studies of deep-sea sediments proved the accuracy of his astronomic model and the precision of his mathematical calculations of the state of Earth’s climate. From then on his work gained wide reputation in the scientific world and consequently his capital work ‘Canon...' ranked among the most significant scientific works of the 20th century. In this scientific paper a short presentation is given on the life and work of Milankovic; pointing out his significant publications, his cycles and sparse attention of the Croatian cultural circle to the work of this great scientist.