Here's why:

* Groundbreaking Experiments: Mendel conducted meticulous experiments with pea plants in the mid-1800s, carefully tracking traits like flower color and seed shape across generations. This led him to formulate fundamental principles of inheritance.

* Laws of Inheritance: Mendel's work established the Law of Segregation (each parent contributes one allele to their offspring) and the Law of Independent Assortment (alleles for different traits are inherited independently of each other). These laws form the bedrock of modern genetics.

* Foundation for Future Research: Though his work was largely ignored for decades, Mendel's discoveries laid the groundwork for later scientists like Thomas Hunt Morgan, who further elucidated the mechanisms of inheritance.

While other scientists like Darwin and Watson & Crick made significant contributions, Mendel's pioneering work in establishing the basic principles of inheritance earned him the title of "father of genetics."