Donald Watson
Coined the term 'vegan' in November 1944, defining a movement that excluded all animal products from diet and commodity.
1910–2005 (age 95)·English animal rights advocate·Birthday: September 2·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Donald Watson issued the first edition of 'The Vegan News' in November 1944. He typed and duplicated the four-page newsletter himself, mailing it to 25 subscribers. Watson, a woodwork teacher from Yorkshire, had been a vegetarian since age 14 after witnessing farm slaughter. During World War II, as a conscientious objector, he concluded that dairy and egg production also constituted exploitation. He needed a new word. He contracted 'vegetarian' to 'vegan', declaring it "the beginning and end of vegetarian." That month, he founded The Vegan Society. The initial rules prohibited flesh, fish, fowl, eggs, honey, and animal milk and its derivatives. Membership grew to 500 within a year. Watson led the society until 1947, then remained a lifelong advocate. He gave lectures, wrote articles, and tended his own garden. The society's definition formalized a philosophy that extended ethics to all animal use. Watson lived to see the word enter the Oxford English Dictionary in 1962 and global usage by the 21st century.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Donald was born in 1910, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Donald Was Born
The biggest hits of 1910
Donald's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1910Born
Halley's Comet makes its closest approach
President: William Howard Taft
1915Started school
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1923Became a teenager
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1926Could drive
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1928Could vote
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1931Turned 21
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1940Turned 30
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1950Turned 40
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1960Turned 50
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 60
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 70
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 80
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2005Died at 95
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
Key Achievements
- Founded The Vegan Society in Leicester, England, on November 1, 1944.
- Created and defined the term 'vegan' in the first issue of 'The Vegan News'.
- Served as the Society's first Secretary and Treasurer, establishing its core philosophical and dietary principles.
Did You Know?
He was a skilled carpenter and mountain climber, ascending peaks in Wales and the Lake District into his 80s.
Watson claimed his diet contributed to his robust health; he died at age 95.
He was a passionate advocate for organic gardening and grew most of his own food.
“Veganism is a philosophy of non-exploitation. It starts with diet but does not end there.”
