1791 in science
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The year 1791 in science and technology involved some significant events.
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Biology
- Jean Baptiste François Pierre Bulliard begins publication of Histoire des champignons de la France, a significant text in mycology.
- Luigi Galvani publishes his discoveries in "animal electricity" (Galvanism).[1]
Chemistry
- Nicolas Leblanc patents the Leblanc process for the production of soda ash (sodium carbonate) from common salt (sodium chloride).
- The element Titanium is discovered included in ilmenite in Cornwall, England, by local amateur geologist Rev. William Gregor.[2]
Medicine
- May 7 – Irish surgeon Samuel Croker-King first describes his trepanning device.[3]
Metrology
- March – In France, the National Constituent Assembly accepts the recommendation of its Commission of Weights and Measures that the nation should adopt the metric system.
Physics
- Pierre Prévost shows that all bodies radiate heat, no matter how hot or cold they are.
Technology
- James Rumsey is granted a patent related to fluid power engineering, in England.[4]
Publications
- Sir John Sinclair's Statistical Account of Scotland begins publication, introducing the term Statistics into English.[5]
Awards
Births
- March 20 – John Farey, English mechanical engineer and technical writer (died 1851)
- April 9 – George Peacock, English mathematician (died 1858)
- April 27 – Samuel F. B. Morse, American inventor (died 1872)
- July 13 – Allan Cunningham, English botanist and explorer (died 1839)
- July 27 – Jean-Nicolas Gannal, French pharmacist, chemist and inventor (died 1852)
- September 4 – Robert Knox, Scottish anatomist (died 1862)
- September 22 – Michael Faraday, English chemist and physicist (died 1867)
- September 23 – Johann Franz Encke, German astronomer (died 1865)
- December 26 – Charles Babbage, English mathematician and inventor of computing machines (died 1871)
Deaths
- July 24 – Ignaz von Born, Hungarian metallurgist (born 1742)
- Date unknown – Maria Petraccini, Italian anatomist and physician (died 1759)