Alfred Wegener was a German scientist who, one day, while looking at a map of the world, noticed that the coasts of the continents, separated by the Atlantic Ocean, seemed to fit together like a puzzle . This observation later led him to hypothesize that the continents were once connected. This hypothesis sparked heated debate in the scientific world. I will use this essay to provide a brief overview of Wegener's life, his hypotheses, and the criticism he received within the scientific community. Wegener was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1880. As a young man, Wegener was an adventurous outdoorsman who loved hiking and exploring nature and the outside world. Wegener was an excellent snow skier and a skilled mountain man. These skills, combined with a love of the outdoors, led him to complete four polar expeditions to Greenland and also set the record for the longest 52-hour hot air balloon flight. Wegener was also highly educated. He graduated in 1899 and studied mathematics and natural sciences at the Friedrich Wilhelm University in Berlin....