John Maynard Smith

British theoretical evolutionary biologist and geneticist (1920-2004)
Person human Q323207
Press Enter · cited answer in seconds

John Maynard Smith

Summary

John Maynard Smith is a human[1]. Born in London[2], he… he was born on +1920-01-06T00:00:00Z[3]. He passed away in Lewes[4]. He died on +2004-04-19T00:00:00Z[5]. He worked as a biologist[6], theoretical biologist[7], geneticist[8], zoologist[9], and writer[10]. He ranks in the top 0.72% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (165 views/month, #7,164 of 1,000,298).[11]

Key Facts

  • John Maynard Smith's place of birth was London[2].
  • John Maynard Smith died in Lewes[4].
  • John Maynard Smith was born on +1920-01-06T00:00:00Z[3].
  • John Maynard Smith was born on +1920-06-06T00:00:00Z[12].
  • John Maynard Smith was born on +1920-02-06T00:00:00Z[13].
  • John Maynard Smith died on +2004-04-19T00:00:00Z[5].
  • John Maynard Smith held citizenship in United Kingdom[14].
  • John Maynard Smith's professions included biologist[6].
  • John Maynard Smith worked as a theoretical biologist[7].
  • John Maynard Smith's professions included geneticist[8].
  • John Maynard Smith's professions included zoologist[9].
  • John Maynard Smith's professions included writer[10].
  • John Maynard Smith's professions included economist[15].
  • John Maynard Smith's field of work was evolutionary biology[16].
  • John Maynard Smith was employed by University College London[17].
  • John Maynard Smith was employed by University of Sussex[18].
  • John Maynard Smith's education included a stint at University College London[19].
  • John Maynard Smith's education included a stint at Eton College[20].
  • John Maynard Smith was educated at Trinity College[21].
  • John Maynard Smith was educated at University of London[22].
  • John Maynard Smith's doctoral advisor was J.B.S. Haldane[23].
  • A notable work attributed to John Maynard Smith is game theory[24].
  • John Maynard Smith received the Darwin Medal[25].
  • John Maynard Smith received the Copley Medal[26].
  • John Maynard Smith received the Royal Medal[27].

Body

Origins and Family

Born in London[2], John Maynard Smith… Recorded date of birth include +1920-01-06T00:00:00Z[3], +1920-06-06T00:00:00Z[12], and +1920-02-06T00:00:00Z[13].

Education

Educated at University College London[19], a university college[28], in United Kingdom[29], founded in 1826[30], headquartered in UCL Main Building[31]; Eton College[20], a public school[32], in United Kingdom[33], founded in 1440[34]; Trinity College[21], a college of the University of Cambridge[35], in United Kingdom[36], founded in 1546[37], headquartered in Cambridge[38]; and University of London[22], a university[39], in United Kingdom[40], founded in 1836[41], headquartered in London[42]. John Maynard Smith's doctoral advisor was J.B.S. Haldane[23]. He studied under J.B.S. Haldane[43].

Career and Affiliations

Recorded occupations include biologist[6], theoretical biologist[7], geneticist[8], zoologist[9], writer[10], and economist[15]. John Maynard Smith's field of work was evolutionary biology[16]. Employers include University College London[17], a university college[44], in United Kingdom[45], founded in 1826[46], headquartered in UCL Main Building[47] and University of Sussex[18], a public research university[48], in United Kingdom[49], founded in 1961[50], headquartered in Sussex House[51].

Works and Contributions

A notable work attributed to John Maynard Smith is game theory[24]. Things named for him include John Maynard Smith Prize[52], an award[53], founded in 1997[54].

Recognition

Awards received include Darwin Medal[25], a science award[55], in United Kingdom[56], founded in 1890[57]; Copley Medal[26], a medallion[58], in United Kingdom[59], founded in 1731[60]; Royal Medal[27], a science award[61], in United Kingdom[62], founded in 1826[63]; ASN Award for Distinguished Achievement in the Conceptual Unification of the Biological Sciences[64], a science award[65], in United States[66], founded in 1991[67]; Balzan Prize[68], a science award[69], in Switzerland[70], founded in 1961[71]; and Darwin–Wallace Medal[72], an award[73].

Personal Life

John Maynard Smith's religion is recorded as atheism[74].

Death and Burial

John Maynard Smith died on +2004-04-19T00:00:00Z[5]. He passed away in Lewes[4]. The cause of death was lung cancer[75].

Why It Matters

John Maynard Smith ranks in the top 0.72% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (165 views/month, #7,164 of 1,000,298).[11] He has Wikipedia articles in 22 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[76] He is known by 18 alternative names across languages and contexts.[77]

He has been cited as an influence by Richard Dawkins[78], an evolutionary biologist[79], b. 1941[80], of United Kingdom[81], awarded the Fellow of the Royal Society[82], specialised in ethology[83].

Entities named for him include John Maynard Smith Prize[52], an award[53], founded in 1997[54].

FAQs

Where was John Maynard Smith born?

Born in London[2], John Maynard Smith…

Where did John Maynard Smith die?

John Maynard Smith passed away in Lewes[4].

What did John Maynard Smith do for work?

John Maynard Smith worked as biologist[6], theoretical biologist[7], geneticist[8], zoologist[9], and writer[10].

Where did John Maynard Smith go to school?

John Maynard Smith was educated at University College London[19], Eton College[20], Trinity College[21], and University of London[22].

What awards did John Maynard Smith receive?

Honors received include Darwin Medal[25], Copley Medal[26], Royal Medal[27], and ASN Award for Distinguished Achievement in the Conceptual Unification of the Biological Sciences[64].

Who did John Maynard Smith influence?

John Maynard Smith has been cited as an influence by Richard Dawkins[78].

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

  1. [2] . wikidata.org.
  2. [4] . wikidata.org.
  3. [14] . wikidata.org.
  4. [19] . wikidata.org.
  5. [20] . wikidata.org.
  6. [21] . wikidata.org.
  7. [22] . Mathematics Genealogy Project. wikidata.org.
  8. [16] . wikidata.org.
  9. [6] . wikidata.org.
  10. [7] . wikidata.org.
  11. [8] . wikidata.org.
  12. [9] . wikidata.org.
  13. [10] . wikidata.org.
  14. [15] . wikidata.org.
  15. [17] . wikidata.org.
  16. [18] . wikidata.org.
  17. [74] . wikidata.org.
  18. [25] . docs.google.com. docs.google.com. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  19. [26] . docs.google.com. Retrieved . docs.google.com. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  20. [27] . wikidata.org.
  21. [64] . amnat.org. amnat.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  22. [68] . wikidata.org.
  23. [72] . linnean.org. Retrieved . linnean.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  24. [23] . Mathematics Genealogy Project. wikidata.org.
  25. [75] . wikidata.org.
  26. [3] . BnF authorities. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  27. [12] . Integrated Authority File. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  28. [13] . IMDb. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  29. [5] . Integrated Authority File. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  30. [24] . wikidata.org.
  31. [43] . wikidata.org.

Inverse relationships (entities pointing at this one)

  1. [78] . wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [52] . wikidata.org. → on this site

Inline context (facts about related entities)

  1. [28] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [29] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [30] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [31] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [32] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [33] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [34] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  8. [35] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  9. [36] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  10. [37] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  11. [38] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  12. [39] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  13. [40] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  14. [41] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  15. [42] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  16. [44] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  17. [45] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  18. [46] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  19. [47] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  20. [48] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  21. [49] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  22. [50] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  23. [51] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  24. [55] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  25. [56] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  26. [57] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  27. [58] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  28. [59] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  29. [60] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  30. [61] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  31. [62] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  32. [63] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  33. [65] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  34. [66] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  35. [67] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  36. [69] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  37. [70] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  38. [71] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  39. [73] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  40. [79] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  41. [80] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  42. [81] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  43. [82] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  44. [83] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  45. [53] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  46. [54] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site

Class ancestry

  1. [1] . Wikidata. wikidata.org.

Aggregate / graph-position facts

  1. [11] . Wikimedia Foundation. dumps.wikimedia.org.
  2. [76] . Wikidata sitelinks. wikidata.org.
  3. [77] . Wikidata aliases. wikidata.org.

📑 Cite this page

Use these citations when quoting this entity in research, articles, AI prompts, or wherever provenance matters. We aggregate Wikidata + Wikipedia + authoritative open-data sources; the stitched, scored, cross-referenced view is what 4ort.xyz contributes.

APA 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). John Maynard Smith. Retrieved April 19, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/john-maynard-smith
MLA “John Maynard Smith.” 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph, 4ort.xyz, 19 Apr. 2026, https://4ort.xyz/entity/john-maynard-smith.
BibTeX @misc{4ortxyz_john-maynard-smith_2026, author = {{4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph}}, title = {{John Maynard Smith}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://4ort.xyz/entity/john-maynard-smith}, note = {Accessed: 2026-04-19}}
LLM prompt According to 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph (aggregator of Wikidata, Wikipedia, and authoritative open-data sources): John Maynard Smith — https://4ort.xyz/entity/john-maynard-smith (retrieved 2026-04-19)

Canonical URL: https://4ort.xyz/entity/john-maynard-smith · Last refreshed:

Edit History

Rolling log of changes to this entity's Wikidata record. Values shown reflect the current state of each edited property — follow the history link to see the precise diff for any edit.

  1. 17d ago · MatSuBot bot · 2026-05-04 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Image purged license
    Instance of
    Erdős number {'amount': '+4'}
    Notable work game theory
    + 34 other properties edited (see Wikidata diff for full list)
    "/* wbeditentity-update-languages-short:0||bn, ru */ import labels from sitelinks; cleanup"
Live feed via Wikidata EventStreams. New edits appear within minutes of being made on Wikidata.