Ronald Fisher

British statistician, evolutionary biologist and geneticist (1890–1962)
Person human Q216723
Ronald Fisher
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Ronald Fisher was born on February 17, 1890, in London[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] and died of colorectal cancer on July 29, 1962, in Adelaide[2][3][4][5][6][11][8]. He was buried at St Peter's Cathedral[12][8]. A citizen of the United Kingdom, he was married to Ruth Eileen Guinness from 1917 onward[7] and had two children, George Fisher Fisher and Joan Fisher Box[13][8].

He was educated at the University of Cambridge, Harrow School, and Gonville and Caius College[3][8][7]. Over his career, he worked as a mathematician, geneticist, statistician, astronomer, biologist, and biostatistician[8][7]. His primary fields were statistics and genetics, and his employers included Rothamsted Research (1919–1933), University College London (1933–1943), University of Cambridge (1943–1959), and University of Adelaide (1959–1962)[3][10].

His professional recognitions included being named a Fellow of the Royal Society and receiving the Copley Medal, Royal Medal, Darwin Medal, Darwin–Wallace Medal, and Croonian Medal and Lecture, along with two additional awards[7][14][15][16]. He served as president of the Royal Statistical Society from 1952 to 1954[17]. He was also a member of the Royal Society, the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences[18].

Ronald Fisher

Summary

Ronald Fisher is a human[1]. Born in London[2], he… he passed away in Adelaide[3]. He worked as a mathematician[4], geneticist[5], statistician[6], astronomer[7], and biologist[8]. He ranks in the top 0.67% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (1,410 views/month, #6,680 of 1,000,298).[9]

Key Facts

  • Ronald Fisher was born in London[2].
  • Ronald Fisher's place of birth was East Finchley[10].
  • Ronald Fisher passed away in Adelaide[3].
  • Ronald Fisher is buried at St Peter's Cathedral[11].
  • Ronald Fisher was married to Ruth Eileen Guinness[12].
  • A child of Ronald Fisher was George Fisher Fisher[13].
  • A child of Ronald Fisher was Joan Fisher Box[14].
  • Ronald Fisher held citizenship in United Kingdom[15].
  • Ronald Fisher's professions included mathematician[4].
  • Ronald Fisher's professions included geneticist[5].
  • Ronald Fisher worked as a statistician[6].
  • Ronald Fisher worked as an astronomer[7].
  • Ronald Fisher's professions included biologist[8].
  • Ronald Fisher worked as a biostatistician[16].
  • Ronald Fisher's field of work was statistics[17].
  • Ronald Fisher's field of work was genetics[18].
  • Ronald Fisher held the position of president of the Royal Statistical Society[19].
  • Ronald Fisher was employed by University College London[20].
  • Among Ronald Fisher's employers was Rothamsted Research[21].
  • Ronald Fisher was employed by University of Adelaide[22].
  • Among Ronald Fisher's employers was University of Cambridge[23].
  • Ronald Fisher was employed by Rugby School[24].
  • Ronald Fisher was educated at University of Cambridge[25].
  • Ronald Fisher's education included a stint at Harrow School[26].
  • Ronald Fisher was educated at Gonville and Caius College[27].

Body

Origins and Family

Recorded place of birth include London[2], a metropolis[28], in Roman Empire[29], founded in 0047[30] and East Finchley[10], a town[31], in United Kingdom[32].

Education

Educated at University of Cambridge[25], Harrow School[26], and Gonville and Caius College[27].

Career and Affiliations

Recorded occupations include mathematician[4], geneticist[5], statistician[6], astronomer[7], biologist[8], and biostatistician[16]. Fields of work include statistics[17] and genetics[18]. Employers include University College London[20], Rothamsted Research[21], University of Adelaide[22], University of Cambridge[23], and Rugby School[24]. Ronald Fisher held the position of president of the Royal Statistical Society[19].

Works and Contributions

Credited discoveries include population genetics[33], an academic discipline[34]; Fisher's principle[35], a scientific model[36]; Fisher's exact test[37], a statistical test[38]; Fisher's inequality[39], an inequality[40]; Fisher's geometric model[41]; and Iris flower data set[42], a data set[43]. Things named for Ronald Fisher include Fisher information[44], Fisher–Yates shuffle[45], F-test[46], Fisher's exact test[47], F-distribution[48], generalized extreme value distribution[49], Fisher's principle[50], and Fisher–Tippett–Gnedenko theorem[51].

Recognition

Awards received include Fellow of the Royal Society[52], Copley Medal[53], Royal Medal[54], Darwin Medal[55], Darwin–Wallace Medal[56], and Croonian Medal and Lecture[57].

Personal Life

Ronald Fisher was married to Ruth Eileen Guinness[12]. Children include George Fisher Fisher[13] and Joan Fisher Box[14], a biographer[58], 1926–2024[59], of United Kingdom[60]. Religious affiliations include Church of England[61] and Anglicanism[62].

Death and Burial

Ronald Fisher passed away in Adelaide[3]. Burial took place at St Peter's Cathedral[11].

Why It Matters

Ronald Fisher ranks in the top 0.67% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (1,410 views/month, #6,680 of 1,000,298).[9] He has Wikipedia articles in 26 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[63] He is known by 56 alternative names across languages and contexts.[64]

He has been cited as an influence by Richard Dawkins[65], an evolutionary biologist[66], b. 1941[67], of United Kingdom[68], awarded the Fellow of the Royal Society[69], specialised in ethology[70]; George E. P. Box[71], a statistician[72], 1919–2013[73], of United Kingdom[74], awarded the British Empire Medal[75]; W. D. Hamilton[76], an evolutionary biologist[77], 1936–2000[78], of United Kingdom[79], awarded the Darwin Medal[80], specialised in biology[81]; Dorian Shainin[82], a military flight engineer[83], 1914–2000[84], of United States[85], specialised in reliability engineering[86]; and J. R. Dunkley[87], a researcher[88], b. 1991[89], of United Kingdom[90], specialised in information geometry[91].

He is credited with the discovery of Fisher information[92], a type of statistic[93] and Fisher's exact test[94], a statistical test[95]. Works attributed to him include Iris flower data set[96], a data set[97] and The Genetical Theory of Natural Selection[98]. Entities named for him include Fisher information[44], Fisher–Yates shuffle[45], F-test[46], Fisher's exact test[47], F-distribution[48], and generalized extreme value distribution[49].

His notable doctoral advisees include Calyampudi Radhakrishna Rao[99], Walter Bodmer[100], and Mary F. Lyon[101].

FAQs

Where was Ronald Fisher born?

Ronald Fisher's place of birth was London[2].

Where did Ronald Fisher die?

Ronald Fisher died in Adelaide[3].

Who was Ronald Fisher married to?

Ronald Fisher's spouses include Ruth Eileen Guinness[12].

What did Ronald Fisher do for work?

Ronald Fisher worked as mathematician[4], geneticist[5], statistician[6], astronomer[7], and biologist[8].

Where did Ronald Fisher go to school?

Ronald Fisher was educated at University of Cambridge[25], Harrow School[26], and Gonville and Caius College[27].

What awards did Ronald Fisher receive?

Honors received include Fellow of the Royal Society[52], Copley Medal[53], Royal Medal[54], and Darwin Medal[55].

Who did Ronald Fisher influence?

Ronald Fisher has been cited as an influence by Richard Dawkins[65], George E. P. Box[71], W. D. Hamilton[76], and Dorian Shainin[82].

What did Ronald Fisher discover?

Ronald Fisher is credited as discoverer of Fisher information[92] and Fisher's exact test[94].

References

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

Direct Wikidata claims

  1. [2] . Sewall Wright and his Role in the Development of Genetics of Populations. Retrieved . www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  2. [10] . Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. wikidata.org.
  3. [3] . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. Retrieved . www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  4. [12] . Who's Who. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  5. [15] . wikidata.org.
  6. [19] . wikidata.org.
  7. [13] . The Peerage. wikidata.org.
  8. [14] . Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. wikidata.org.
  9. [33] . wikidata.org.
  10. [35] . wikidata.org.
  11. [37] . wikidata.org.
  12. [39] . wikidata.org.
  13. [41] . wikidata.org.
  14. [42] . wikidata.org.
  15. [25] . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. wikidata.org.
  16. [26] . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. wikidata.org.
  17. [27] . Who's Who. wikidata.org.
  18. [17] . wikidata.org.
  19. [18] . wikidata.org.
  20. [4] . wikidata.org.
  21. [5] . Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. wikidata.org.
  22. [6] . Who's Who. wikidata.org.
  23. [7] . Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  24. [8] . wikidata.org.
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  26. [20] . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. wikidata.org.
  27. [21] . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. wikidata.org.
  28. [22] . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. wikidata.org.
  29. [23] . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. wikidata.org.
  30. [24] . MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. wikidata.org.
  31. [11] . Find a Grave. wikidata.org.
  32. [61] . wikidata.org.
  33. [62] . wikidata.org.
  34. [52] . Who's Who. wikidata.org.
  35. [53] . docs.google.com. Retrieved . docs.google.com. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  36. [54] . wikidata.org.
  37. [55] . docs.google.com. docs.google.com. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  38. [56] . The Darwin-Wallace Medal. Retrieved . linnean.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  39. [57] . wikidata.org.

Inverse relationships (entities pointing at this one)

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Class ancestry

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

Aggregate / graph-position facts

  1. [9] . Wikimedia Foundation. dumps.wikimedia.org.
  2. [63] . Wikidata sitelinks. wikidata.org.
  3. [64] . Wikidata aliases. wikidata.org.

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APA 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). Ronald Fisher. Retrieved April 10, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/ronald-fisher
MLA “Ronald Fisher.” 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph, 4ort.xyz, 10 Apr. 2026, https://4ort.xyz/entity/ronald-fisher.
BibTeX @misc{4ortxyz_ronald-fisher_2026, author = {{4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph}}, title = {{Ronald Fisher}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://4ort.xyz/entity/ronald-fisher}, note = {Accessed: 2026-04-10}}
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  1. 13d ago · Epìdosis · 2026-05-22 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Occupation mathematician, geneticist, statistician +3
    "/* wbremoveclaims-remove:1| */ [[Property:P106]]: [[Q864503]], [[:toollabs:quickstatements/#/batch/258356|batch #258356]]"
  2. 16d ago · Epìdosis · 2026-05-19 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Local thumb
    "/* wbeditentity-update:0| */ QuickStatements 3.0 [[:toollabs:qs-dev/batch/32081|batch #32081]]: import P21 and P106 from GND (23)"
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