-
Oct 31, 1451
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus is born as is Amerigo Vespucci -
Jan 1, 1472
New 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 (nested concentric) celestial spheres. -
Jan 13, 1492
Discovery of the New World
Columbus discovers the "New World" . -
Period: Oct 18, 1507 to Aug 21, 1514
Copernicus's Commentariolus begins to be circulated.
The initial appearance of the heliocentric theory of Nicholas Copernicus (1473-1543) is associated with the private circulation of a manuscript known as the Commentariolus (The Little Commentary) which was published many years later. -
Mar 7, 1517
Luther starts the Reformation
Martin Luther, monk and a university professor, wrote a paper. Specifically, a list of 95 theses, or propositions, challenging the sale of indulgences in theory and practice. He nailed the document to the door of the Wittenberg Church, which was the usual place for posting public notices, and offered to debate the theses with any churchman. -
Jun 5, 1543
Publication of De humani corporis fabrica (On the Structure of the Human Body)
One of the most famous publications in natural philosophy was the anatomical book of Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564), De fabrica (On the Fabric of the Human Body). It was arguably the most important anatomical texts of the century, at once criticizing the work of the ancients, principally Galen, which offering new illustrations based on first-hand observation and fresh dissections. -
Feb 21, 1561
Discovery of the Fallopian Tubes
Gabriele Falloppio (1523-1562) announces his discovery of the fallopian tubes in his Anatomical Observations. -
Feb 15, 1564
The Birth of Galileo
Galileo Galilei born at Pisa, Italy, February 16; Michelangelo Buonarroti dies at Florence, 18 February; William Shakespeare born in England, 23 April. -
Galileo publishes Dialogues Concerning the Two Principal Systems of the World
In one of the major publications of the century, Galileo's Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, Ptolemaic and Copernican argues for a Copernican system; Galileo uses every tactic available to him, drawing on his telescopic findings, his new view of motion, and not a little rhetorical skill. -
Newton announces his theory of Colors to the Royal Society.
In his first major publication, Isaac Newton (in the Philosophical Transactions) established by means of experiment that white light was not one and pure, but rather that white light was mixed and heterogeneous: white light, against tradition, was in fact composed of a spectrum of colors (the rainbow) and each color is the result of a measurable angle of bending (refraction). Color as a quality was, according to tradition, a quantifiable degree of refrangibility. -
Death of Newton
Newton's health fails, he collapses and borders on death; shortly thereafter, Newton dies at Kensington between 1.00 and 2.00am. On 28 March his body lays in state in Westminster Abbey where he is buried on 4 April.
