Wilhelm Wundt

Wilhelm Wundt was a German psychologist who established the very first psychology laboratory in Leipzig, Germany in 1879. This event is widely recognized as the formal establishment of psychology as a science distinct from biology and philosophy. Among his many distinctions, Wundt was the very first person to refer to himself as a psychologist.

Wundt research group — Wilhelm Wundt (seated) with colleagues in his psychological laboratory, the first of its kind (1880)

Here is a time line for Wundt's life:

1832 - Born in Baden, Germany
1845 - Enters Bruchsal Gymnasium
1851-52 - Study of medicine at Tübingen
1852-55 - Study of medicine at Heidelberg
1853 - First publication "on the sodium chloride content of urine"
1855 - Medical assistant at a Heidelberg clinic
1857-64 - Privatdozent at the Physiological Institute
1858 - Beiträge zur Theorie der Sinneswahrnehmung; Helmholtz becomes director of the Heidelberg Physiological Institute
1862 - First lectures in psychology
1864 - Lectures on physiological psychology
1870-71 - Fails to be named Helmholtz's successor at Heidelberg; Army doctor in Franco-Prussian War
1873-74 - Publishes Grundzüge der physiologischen Psychologie
1874 - Called to Zürich to the professorship in "inductive philosophy"
1875 - Called to Leipzig as professor
1879 - Founds the Institut für Experimentelle Psychologie, Leipzig
1881 - Philosophische Studien found
1880-83 - Logic, 2 vols.
1886 - Ethik, 3 vols.
1889 - System der Philosophie, 2 vols.
1889-90 - Rector of Leipzig University
1904 - Völkerpsychologie, 2 vols.
1915 - Emeritus status
1917 - Retires from teaching; replaced by his student, Felix Krueger
1920 - Dies at Grossbothen, near Leipzig, at the age of 88

Thanks to his work and contributions, a whole new field was established and inspired other researchers to explore and study the human mind and behavior. If you have time, you should read more about this pioneer of a new field of science.