Gregor Mendel presented his experiments on plant hybrids to the Natural History Society of Brünn in 1865. The Augustinian friar and teacher reported years of controlled breeding experiments with pea plants, tracking how contrasting traits appeared across generations.
Mendel studied seven pairs of traits, including tall versus dwarf stems, violet versus white flowers, and round versus wrinkled seeds. By counting large numbers of offspring, he found regular numerical patterns rather than the blended inheritance many people then expected. His results led to principles later called dominance, segregation, and independent assortment.
The timing can cause confusion. Mendel read the paper, “Experiments on Plant Hybridization,” at meetings held on 8 February and 8 March 1865. The work was printed in the society’s proceedings for 1865, but that volume appeared in 1866. Therefore, 1865 is the correct year for the presentation, while 1866 is associated with publication.
Mendel’s paper initially attracted little attention. Its significance was recognized decades later, helping establish him as a founder of modern genetics.