1839 in science
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| List of years in science (Table) |
|---|
| Related time period or subjects |
| Art Archaeology Architecture Literature Music Science more |
The year 1839 in science and technology involved some significant events, listed below.
Contents |
[edit] Astronomy
- January - The first parallax measurement of the distance to Alpha Centauri is published by Thomas Henderson.[1]
[edit] Biology
- Theodor Schwann proposes that all living matter is made up of cells.
[edit] Chemistry
- Carl Mosander discovers lanthanum.
[edit] Exploration
- May 1 - Start of Eyre's expeditions to the interior of South Australia.
- October 5 - James Clark Ross sets off on the first scientific expedition to survey Antarctica.
- Publication of Charles Darwin's Journal of Researches into the Geology and Natural History of the Various Countries Visited by H.M.S. Beagle under the Command of Captain FitzRoy, R.N., from 1832 to 1839.
[edit] Geology
- Roderick Murchison publishes The Silurian System.
- December 24 - An enormous landslide occurs at Axmouth, Devon, England. A report by geologists William Daniel Conybeare and William Buckland is one of the earliest scientific descriptions of such an event.[2]
[edit] Technology
- January 9 - The French Academy of Sciences announces the Daguerreotype photography process.
- January 25 - H. Fox Talbot shows his "photogenic drawings" at the Royal Institution.
- February 24 - William Otis receives a patent for the steam shovel.
- April 9 - The world's first commercial electric telegraph line comes into operation alongside the Great Western Railway in England.
- Michael Faraday publishes Experimental Researches in Electricity[3] clarifying the true nature of electricity.
- Invention of the Grove fuel cell by William Grove.[4]
- Development of vulcanized rubber by Charles Goodyear.
- Development of Babbitt metal by Isaac Babbitt.
- Claimed invention of the rear-wheel driven bicycle by Kirkpatrick Macmillan in Scotland.[5]
[edit] Awards
[edit] Births
- January 27 - Marie-Adolphe Carnot (d. 1920), French chemist and mining engineer.
- February 11
- Josiah Willard Gibbs (d. 1903), American theoretical physicist and chemist.
- Almon Strowger (d. 1902), American telecommunications engineer.
- February 15 - Hieronymus Georg Zeuthen (d. 1920), Danish mathematician.
- April 12 - Nikolai Przhevalsky (d. 1888), Russian-born Polish explorer.
[edit] Deaths
- April 8 - Pierre Prévost (b. 1751), Swiss physicist.
- June 27 - Allan Cunningham (b. 1791), English botanist and explorer.
- August 28 - William Smith (b. 1769), English geologist
- September 29 - Friedrich Mohs (b. 1773), German mineralogist
- November 15 - William Murdoch (b. 1754), Scottish-born inventor and technician.
- December 24 - Davies Gilbert (b. 1767), English promoter of science.
[edit] References
- ^ Gavine, David (2004). "Henderson, Thomas (1798–1844)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/12915. Retrieved 2011-02-16.
- ^ "Axmouth to Lyme Regis: The Undercliff, The Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site". http://www.jurassiccoast.com/277/the-coast-uncovered-30/explore-the-coast:-a-walk-through-time-141/axmouth-to-lyme-regis:-the-undercliff-357.html. Retrieved 2007-09-12.
- ^ "Experimental Researches in Electricity". http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/14986. Retrieved 2007-09-12.
- ^ "Note sur une pile voltaïque d'une grande énergie, construite par M. Grove; communication de M. Becquerel". Comptes Rendus 8: 497. 1839. http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k2967c/f503.table.
- ^ "Kirkpatrick Macmillan (1812-1878)". Historic Figures. BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/macmillan_kirkpatrick.shtml. Retrieved 2011-02-12.
