Petras Avižonis, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Petras Avižonis

Lithuanian ophthalmologist

Date of Birth: 17-Apr-1875

Place of Birth: Pasvalys, Panevėžys County, Lithuania

Date of Death: 17-Oct-1939

Profession: politician, university teacher, ophthalmologist

Nationality: Lithuania

Zodiac Sign: Aries

Petras Avižonis (17 April 1875 – 17 October 1939) was a Lithuanian ophthalmologist, rector of the University of Lithuania (1925–1926). Avižonis studied biology at the Saint Petersburg University but transferred to the Dorpat University to study medicine in 1897.
As a student, he was active participant in the Lithuanian National Revival, collaborating with Povilas Višinskis, Gabriele Petkevicaite-Bite, Julija Žymantiene (Žemaite).
In 1897, he wrote a small Lithuanian grammar.
In summer 1900, he worked with linguist Jonas Jablonskis to write a more substantial grammar, which became highly influential in creating the standard Lithuanian language.
Avižonis served as an army doctor with the Imperial Russian Army in the Russo-Japanese War and World War I.
He became interested in ophthalmology and completed his PhD in 1914.
He particularly focused on treating and preventing trachoma.
In independent Lithuania, he taught ophthalmology from 1920 to his death, organized ophthalmology section at the University of Lithuania, opened and headed a modern eye clinic, organized professional societies for doctors.
Avižonis contributed to numerous Lithuanian periodicals, published separate brochures on medical and societal topics, and authored over one hundred academic articles.
He attended international conferences and was elected to the board of the International Organization Against Trachoma in 1938.
His main work, the 844-page guide to eye diseases, was unsurpassed for over fifty years.