Here's a breakdown:
* 1912: Wegener published his book "The Origin of Continents and Oceans," where he first outlined his theory of continental drift. He noticed the fit of the continents, particularly South America and Africa, and saw similarities in geological formations and fossils on different continents.
* Early 20th century: Wegener's theory was initially met with skepticism and resistance from the scientific community. The lack of a convincing mechanism to explain how continents could move across the Earth's surface was a major obstacle.
* Mid-20th century: The development of plate tectonics in the 1960s provided the missing mechanism. Evidence from seafloor spreading, magnetic striping, and other geological phenomena confirmed the movement of Earth's tectonic plates.
* Acceptance of Continental Drift: The evidence from plate tectonics ultimately led to the acceptance of continental drift, solidifying Wegener's contribution to our understanding of Earth's history and dynamics.
So, Wegener didn't "find out" about continental drift, but he was the one who proposed the theory and amassed a considerable amount of evidence to support it.
