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1698 in science
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<h2 id="astronomy">Astronomy</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Christiaan_Huygens/GtBqoBVm">Christiaan Huygens</a>, in his posthumously published book <i>Kosmotheoros</i>, argues that other planets in the <a href="/facts/Solar_System/QIcLSazQ">Solar System</a> could contain <a href="/facts/Extraterrestrial_life/arxCPFTQ">extraterrestrial life</a>, starting a debate that extends into the 21st century.</li></ul> <h2 id="exploration">Exploration</h2> <ul><li>November – <a href="/facts/HMS_Paramour_(1694)/6KBRIXYl">HMS <i>Paramour</i></a> sets sail under the command of <a href="/facts/Edmond_Halley/JgjIRcUA">Edmond Halley</a> on the first purely scientific voyage by an English naval vessel, to investigate <a href="/facts/Magnetic_declination/GdB3stq3">magnetic declination</a>.</li></ul> <h2 id="technology">Technology</h2> <ul><li>January 11 – April 21 – <a href="/facts/Tsar/qTE59C0T">Tsar</a> <a href="/facts/Peter_the_Great/plNUAaWM">Peter the Great</a> of <a href="/facts/Tsardom_of_Russia/m0scLsSq">Russia</a> (incognito as 'Peter Mikhailov') visits <a href="/facts/England/U9mE5bGL">England</a> as part of his <a href="/facts/Grand_Embassy_of_Peter_I/f8N6XRVu">Grand Embassy</a>, making a particular study of shipbuilding.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a></li> <li>July 25 – <a href="/facts/English_people/IeI9c7BK">English</a> engineer <a href="/facts/Thomas_Savery/0AxHpTqe">Thomas Savery</a> obtains a <a href="/facts/Patent/LjT2bG3A">patent</a> for "A new invention for raising of water... by the impellent force of fire", a <a href="/facts/Pumps/UtMn3Btt">steam pump</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a></li> <li>November 14 – First <a href="/facts/Eddystone_Lighthouse/fJJehhdW">Eddystone Lighthouse</a> illuminated,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> the first rock <a href="/facts/Lighthouse/HAwW4RFW">lighthouse</a> in <a href="/facts/Europe/DTAtrKfh">Europe</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a></li> <li>The piano is invented by Italian <a href="/facts/Bartolomeo_Cristofori/MKVyjNxt">Bartolomeo Cristofori</a>, originally named the "piano et forte" (meaning "soft and loud").</li> <li>A <a href="/facts/Metronome/UhRkhj2W">metronome</a> is developed as a machine to measure musical <a href="/facts/Tempo/P5PfkpTb">tempo</a>.</li></ul> <h2 id="events">Events</h2> <ul><li>November – Tani Jinzan, <a href="/facts/Astronomer/ronF8j4a">astronomer</a> and <a href="/facts/Calendar/mgY3sm8P">calendar</a> scholar, observes a fire destroy <a href="/facts/K%C5%8Dchi_Prefecture/vjEs0Rw6">Tosa</a> in <a href="/facts/Japan/U5mz0SRT">Japan</a> at the same time as a <a href="/facts/Leonids/ElMRWTTp">Leonid</a> <a href="/facts/Meteor_shower/ff47hYJA">meteor shower</a>, taking it as evidence to reinforce belief in the "Theory of Areas".</li></ul> <h2 id="births">Births</h2> <ul><li>February – <a href="/facts/Colin_Maclaurin/nVexkojA">Colin Maclaurin</a>, <a href="/facts/Scottish_people/0rp2bd12">Scottish</a> <a href="/facts/Mathematician/eaFSR8Fx">mathematician</a> (died <a href="/facts/1746_in_science/9dd8kNKE">1746</a>)</li> <li>February 16 – <a href="/facts/Pierre_Bouguer/d7tuYCxr">Pierre Bouguer</a>, <a href="/facts/French_people/984axQ8y">French</a> mathematician (died <a href="/facts/1758_in_science/ojHFTnnm">1758</a>)</li> <li>March 26 – <a href="/facts/V%C3%A1clav_Prokop_Divi%C5%A1/XMBpeexu">Václav Prokop Diviš</a>, <a href="/facts/Czech_people/PsqFMBxp">Czech</a> theologian and natural scientist (died <a href="/facts/1765_in_science/4llCNwD8">1765</a>)</li> <li>May 8 – <a href="/facts/Henry_Baker_(naturalist)/INqGy7XI">Henry Baker</a>, <a href="/facts/English_people/IeI9c7BK">English</a> <a href="/facts/Naturalist/pSlAvbTX">naturalist</a> (died <a href="/facts/1774_in_science/T5ByrBMR">1774</a>)</li> <li>July 17 – <a href="/facts/Pierre_Louis_Moreau_de_Maupertuis/AcFjlBhh">Pierre Louis Moreau de Maupertuis</a>, French mathematician (died <a href="/facts/1759_in_science/jokdkunq">1759</a>)</li> <li>November 28 – <a href="/facts/Charlotta_Fr%C3%B6lich/A4q4RRHE">Charlotta Frölich</a>, <a href="/facts/Sweden/u3qC7lyj">Swedish</a> <a href="/facts/Agronomist/9EvBW7jo">agronomist</a> (died <a href="/facts/1770_in_science/poKYG3AN">1770</a>)</li></ul> <h2 id="deaths">Deaths</h2> <ul><li>August 18 – <a href="/facts/Nicolas_Venette/gScH1wFW">Nicolas Venette</a>, French physician, sexologist and writer (born <a href="/facts/1633_in_science/3kd5Ur9z">1633</a>)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a></li> <li>November 4 – <a href="/facts/Rasmus_Bartholin/2wtPG1tn">Rasmus Bartholin</a>, <a href="/facts/Danes/bUt1hyMQ">Danish</a> scientist (born <a href="/facts/1625_in_science/JR96SdbS">1625</a>)</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"January 28th". Chambers' Book of Days. Archived from the original on 17 December 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-28. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20071217212219/http://www.thebookofdays.com/months/jan/28.htm" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20071217212219/http://www.thebookofdays.com/months/jan/28.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Carlyle, E. I. (2004). "Savery, Thomas (1650?–1715)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/24733. Retrieved 2011-11-05. (subscription or UK public library membership required) <a href="http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/24733" target="_blank">http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/24733</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Majdalany, Fred (1959). The Red Rocks of Eddystone. London: Longmans. p. 49. <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"Advances in Aids to Navigation Technology" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-02. Retrieved 2011-07-14. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110602005724/http://www.trinityhouse.co.uk/pdfs/info-sheets/Advances_in_AtoN.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20110602005724/http://www.trinityhouse.co.uk/pdfs/info-sheets/Advances_in_AtoN.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>BnF 12108388m <a href="/wiki/BNF_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/BNF_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>