Hungarian micropaleontologist József Bóna is 95 years old. This article presents his entire career, scientific work, and achievements. We publish a full list of his publications. We summarise the science for which he described a new genus or species. His work was carried out in Komló, in the Mecsek Mountains, in southern Hungary, where he was a researcher in the palaeontology of an earth science laboratory. His research materials were found in boreholes of coal mines. The Mecsek Mountains are home to Hungary's only occurrence of black coal. The mines are no longer in operation, having been closed decades ago. The geological laboratory has been dismantled and almost destroyed. The authors of this study have rescued some of the valuable scientific material and deposited it in the town museum.