The year 1617 in
science
Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...
and
technology
Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, science, ...
involved some significant events.
Astronomy
*
Johannes Kepler
Johannes Kepler (; ; 27 December 1571 – 15 November 1630) was a German astronomer, mathematician, astrologer, natural philosopher and writer on music. He is a key figure in the 17th-century Scientific Revolution, best known for his laws ...
begins to publish his ''
Epitome astronomiæ Copernicanæ'' setting out his theory of
elliptic orbits.
Mathematics
*
Napier's Bones, a multiplication device invented by
John Napier (who dies on April 4), is described in his ''
Rabdologiæ'', published in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
.
*
Henry Briggs publishes ''Logarithmorum Chilias Prima'', a modification of Napier's logarithms into
common logarithm
In mathematics, the common logarithm is the logarithm with base 10. It is also known as the decadic logarithm and as the decimal logarithm, named after its base, or Briggsian logarithm, after Henry Briggs, an English mathematician who pioneered i ...
s.
Medicine
* The
Worshipful Society of Apothecaries of London is granted a
royal charter
A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, bu ...
, separating it from the
Grocers.
Births
* July 13 ''(bapt.)'' –
Ralph Cudworth,
Cambridge Platonist (died
1688
Events
January–March
* January 2 – Fleeing from the Spanish Navy, French pirate Raveneau de Lussan and his 70 men arrive on the west coast of Nicaragua, sink their boats, and make a difficult 10 day march to the city of Oco ...
).
Deaths
* January 29 –
William Butler, Irish, Irish
alchemist
Alchemy (from Arabic: ''al-kīmiyā''; from Ancient Greek: χυμεία, ''khumeía'') is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscience, protoscientific tradition that was historically practiced in Chinese alchemy, C ...
(at sea) (born c. 1534).
* February 6 –
Prospero Alpini
Prospero Alpini (also known as Prosper Alpinus, Prospero Alpinio and Latinized as Prosperus Alpinus) (23 November 15536 February 1617) was a Venetian physician and botanist. He travelled around Egypt and served as the fourth prefect in charge of ...
, Italian
physician
A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...
and
botanist
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...
(born
1553
Year 1553 ( MDLIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–June
* May – The first Royal Charter is granted to St Albans, in England.
* June – The ...
).
* February 11 –
Giovanni Antonio Magini
Giovanni Antonio Magini (in Latin, Maginus) (13 June 1555 – 11 February 1617) was an Italian astronomer, astrologer, cartographer, and mathematician.
His Life
He was born in Padua, and completed studies in philosophy in Bologna in 1579. Hi ...
, Italian
astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, g ...
(born
1555
Year 1555 ( MDLV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–June
* January 22 – The Kingdom of Ava in Upper Burma falls.
* February 2 – The Diet o ...
).
* April 4 –
John Napier of
Merchiston
Merchiston ( ) is a residential area around Merchiston Avenue in the south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland.
Location
Merchiston Avenue is 1.3 miles Southwest of the West End of Edinburgh's principal street, Princes Street. Other areas near Merchi ...
,
mathematician
A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems.
Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change.
History
On ...
(born
1550
__NOTOC__
Year 1550 ( MDL) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–June
* January 6 – Spanish Captain Hernando de Santana founds the city of Vall ...
).
* May 7 –
David Fabricius David Fabricius (9 March 1564 – 7 May 1617) was a German pastor who made two major discoveries in the early days of telescopic astronomy, jointly with his eldest son, Johannes Fabricius (1587–1615).
David Fabricius (Latinization of his proper n ...
,
Frisian astronomer (born
1564
Year 1564 ( MDLXIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–June
* January 26 – Livonian War – Battle of Ula: A Lithuanian surprise attack result ...
).
* December –
William Butler, English physician (born
1535
__NOTOC__
Year 1535 ( MDXXXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–June
* January 18 – Lima, Peru, is founded by Francisco Pizarro, as '' Ciudad de l ...
).
References
{{reflist
17th century in science
1610s in science