Henry Charles Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne was born on January 14, 1845, in London, England.

He was a British politician and Governor-General of Canada (1883-1888). He studied at Eton College and in 1867, he received a B.A. degree from Balliol College in Oxford. During his time at Oxford, his father died, and he inherited the title of Marquess of Lansdowne, his father’s seat in the House of Lords, a London residence, and estates in Ireland. In 1866, he entered the House of Lords as a member of the Liberal Party and served as a Lord of the Treasury (1869-1872) and as Under-Secretary of State for War (1872-1874). He became Under-Secretary of State for India in 1880 and in 1883, he was appointed Governor-General of Canada. Being fluent in French, he was popular in Quebec and spent extended periods at the Citadelle in Quebec City. Lansdowne received an honorary Doctor of Law from McGill University in 1884. In 1885, he travelled across Canada and met with First Nations leaders during an extended tour intended to alleviate tensions following the North-West Rebellion. He promoted the development of science and technology in Canada and supported the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Lansdowne embraced Canadian outdoor sports and activities like salmon fishing, skating, tobogganing, and curling. He served as viceroy of India (1888-1894), Secretary of State for War (1895-1900), and Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1900-1905). There are towns named for Lansdowne in the Yukon, Ontario and Nova Scotia, as well as the Lansdowne neighbourhood in Edmonton, Lansdowne Avenue and subway station in Toronto, and Lansdowne Park in Ottawa. There is a Mount Lansdowne in the Yukon and streets named for Lansdowne in Sudbury, Peterborough, Quebec City, and Fredericton, as well as public schools in Winnipeg, Sudbury, and Toronto.

In 1869, he married Lady Maud Hamilton. He died on June 3, 1927, in Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland.

Edwin Lankester was born on April 23, 1814, in Melton, Suffolk, England.

He was a physician, public health reformer, and natural historian. He started to study medicine and science at the University College London (1834-1837) but couldn't afford to complete the course. In 1837, he became a resident medical attendant and science tutor to the Woods family of Campsall Hall. In 1839, he travelled to Heidelberg, Germany to take his M.D. and started to practise medicine in London. He also wrote articles on botany, medicine, and surgery for the Penny Cyclopaedia and contributed to the Biographical Dictionary and other journals. In 1845, he was President of the Royal Microscopical Society and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. In 1850, he obtained the chair of natural science at New College, London, holding it until 1872. He was President of the British Association for 25 years, and the founder of its Biological Section. In 1865, he became the first President of the Quekett Microscopical Club. He was a born publicist, teacher, and reformer, always fighting for the poor and defenceless. He was the author of the immensely popular "Half Hours with the Microscope” (1859). Lankester became the first Medical Officer of Health in England and made a major contribution to the control of cholera in London (1853-1854).

In 1845, he married Phebe Pope (1826-1900), a botanist, microscopist, and author of the children's books. He died on October 30, 1874, in Thanet, Kent, England and was buried in Hampstead, Middlesex, England.