Fossil of a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton

© Corbin17/Alam

King of the dinosaurs

No other dinosaur has quite the notoriety of the Tyrannosaurus rex. The species gained widespread popularity in 1905, when a New York Times article hailed it ‘the king of all kings in the domain of animal life’ and the ‘absolute warlord of the Earth.’ The so-called tyrant lizard has been a star ever since, regularly appearing in film, TV and books.

Today’s date is significant in the history of Tyrannosaurus scholarship, because it was on 12 August 1990 that one of the largest, best-preserved and most complete T. rex skeletons ever found was unearthed. It’s known as Sue, named after palaeontologist Sue Hendrickson, who discovered it in the US state of South Dakota while a tyre of her truck was being fixed. Sue the T. rex is now on display at Field Museum in Chicago, where anyone can come in for a close encounter.