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Jan 1, 1451
Columbus
Christopher Columbus (d.1506) is born as is Amerigo Vespucci (d. 1512), explorers -
Jan 1, 1462
Major Publication
One of the major publications of Renaissance natural philosophy, the Epitome of Ptolemy's Almagest appears; the authors, Georg Peurbach (1423-1461) and Johannes Regiomontanus (1436-1476), symbolize a shift from reverence for Ptolemy and antiquity to respect coupled with confident innovation -
Jan 1, 1469
Corpus Hermeticum
Publication of the highly influential Corpus Hermeticum, a collection of writings (we now know) to have been written in the early Christian era but then thought to have been written with great authority by Hermes Trismegistus (perhaps Thoth or Moses) living c.1800 BC. -
Jan 1, 1472
Theory of the Planets
Georg Peurbach's New Theory of the Planets (1454) sought to reconcile geometric descriptive models for predicting planetary motions by employing homocentric -
Feb 19, 1473
Nicolas Copernicus
Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1543) born -
Jan 1, 1486
Heinrich Kramer
The Malleus Malificarum (The Hammer of the Witches) is published as an influential guidebook to identifying witches and bringing them to punishment -
Thomas Harriot and Tycho Brache
Thomas Harriot (c.1560-1521) proposed the sine law of refraction, which he failed to publish. Tycho Brahe dies at his castle new Prague. Tycho Brahe dies 24 October in Prague and Kepler soon appointed Imperial Mathematician on 6 November; Kepler was able to retain Tycho's astronomical data following a lawsuit with Tycho's heirs -
Optics
Isaac Newton (1642-1727) publishes the first edition of his Opticks, based on work done during his days a Cambridge, including a series of speculations about nature and natural philosophy under enumerated as "Queries". -
Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz
Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz sends objections to Newton's philosophy to the Princess of Wales which sparks controversy between Leibniz and Samuel Clarke, Newton's representative, on the issue of God's relation to a mechanical universe ('Clockmaker'- Clockwork). -
Observations Upon the Prophecies
Newton's Observations Upon the Prophecies is published (London); some eleven printings follow