1663 in science

Some significant events in science and technology occurred in the year 1663.

Astronomy

• Scottish mathematician James Gregory publishes Optica Promota, describing theoretically the Gregorian telescope.

Exploration

• March 4 – The Prince Edward Islands in the sub-antarctic Indian Ocean are discovered by Barent Barentszoon Lam of the Dutch ship Maerseveen and named Dina (Prince Edward) and Maerseveen (Marion).

Mathematics

• The first book about games of chance, Girolamo Cardano's Liber de ludo aleae ("On Casting the Die"), written in the 1560s, is published.

Meteorology

• October 7 – Robert Hooke presents his "Method for making a history of the weather" to the Royal Society of London.

Technology

• The earliest known surviving clock with an anchor escapement is made by William Clement in England.

Publications

• Robert Boyle publishes Considerations touching the Usefulness of Experimental Natural Philosophy (first part).

Births

• August 31 – Guillaume Amontons, French scientific instrument inventor and physicist (died 1705)

Deaths

• December 28 – Francesco Maria Grimaldi, Italian physicist (born 1618)

References