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1690 in science
open-in-new
<h2 id="astronomy">Astronomy</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Giovanni_Domenico_Cassini/JKxdrKC2">Giovanni Cassini</a> observes <a href="/facts/Differential_rotation/e1dhGsBV">differential rotation</a> within <a href="/facts/Jupiter/95m7XjMT">Jupiter</a>'s atmosphere.</li> <li>December – Earliest recorded sightings of the <a href="/facts/Planet/rbPjE6Bx">planet</a> <a href="/facts/Uranus/x7YwT1ar">Uranus</a>, by <a href="/facts/John_Flamsteed/hptRt6IK">John Flamsteed</a>, who mistakenly catalogues it as the <a href="/facts/Star/PFbd6ICx">star</a> 34 <a href="/facts/Taurus_(constellation)/Vd3R88wb">Tauri</a>.</li></ul> <h2 id="geography">Geography</h2> <ul><li>Franciscan <a href="/facts/Vincenzo_Coronelli/qClfGDY1">Vincenzo Coronelli</a> publishes the first folio of his atlas <i><a href="/facts/Atlante_Veneto/fNVXwGQ2">Atlante Veneto</a></i>.</li></ul> <h2 id="botany">Botany</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/French_people/984axQ8y">French</a> <a href="/facts/Horticulturalist/m8qBLuT3">horticulturalist</a> <a href="/facts/Jean-Baptiste_de_La_Quintinie/p7fJKj4m">Jean-Baptiste de La Quintinie</a>'s <i>Instruction pour les jardins fruitiers et potagers</i> is published posthumously.</li></ul> <h2 id="mathematics">Mathematics</h2> <ul><li>Izeki Tomotoki (井関 知辰) of <a href="/facts/Osaka/sbS1N7sl">Osaka</a> publishes <i>Sampo-Hakki</i> (算法発揮), in which he gives the <a href="/facts/Resultant/A5g2MdhT">resultant</a> and the <a href="/facts/Laplace_expansion/B4EIjlsp">Laplace expansion</a> of the <a href="/facts/Determinant/eGYqJ2TF">determinant</a> for the <i>n</i>×<i>n</i> case. At about this date, Tanaka Yoshizane (田中 由真) also describes and applies the resultant, in <i>Sampo-Funkai</i> (算法紛解).</li> <li><a href="/facts/Michel_Rolle/gDH7EsJA">Michel Rolle</a> publishes <i>Traité d'Algebre</i>, in which he gives the first published description in Europe of <a href="/facts/Gaussian_elimination/23Rvf4ht">Gaussian elimination</a>.</li></ul> <h2 id="medicine">Medicine</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Justine_Siegemund/BPTHR0jB">Justine Siegemund</a> publishes <i>Die Chur-Brandenburgische Hof-Wehemutter</i> ("The Court Midwife"), the first medical textbook in <a href="/facts/German_language/oWaQIDA8">German</a> written by a woman.</li></ul> <h2 id="technology">Technology</h2> <ul><li>February 3 – America's first <a href="/facts/Paper_money/mm6H2XI4">paper money</a> is printed in the <a href="/facts/Massachusetts_Bay_Colony/DYFLslCR">Massachusetts Bay Colony</a>.</li> <li>A rudimentary working model of a <a href="/facts/History_of_the_compass/MxI1H1hV">liquid compass</a> is introduced by Sir <a href="/facts/Edmond_Halley/JgjIRcUA">Edmond Halley</a> at a meeting of the <a href="/facts/Royal_Society/KI5yXCuV">Royal Society</a>.</li> <li>French physicist <a href="/facts/Denis_Papin/G4lboS2q">Denis Papin</a>, while in <a href="/facts/Leipzig/KIqgMgLN">Leipzig</a> and having observed the mechanical power of atmospheric pressure on his 'digester', builds a working model of a <a href="/facts/Reciprocating_engine/ItLAxmW3">reciprocating</a> <a href="/facts/Steam_engine/f7hN8vzm">steam engine</a> for pumping water, the first of its kind, though not efficient.</li></ul> <h2 id="births">Births</h2> <ul><li>March 18 – <a href="/facts/Christian_Goldbach/NDjEwD4d">Christian Goldbach</a>, <a href="/facts/Prussia/fs1wEGrk">Prussian</a> <a href="/facts/Mathematician/eaFSR8Fx">mathematician</a> (died <a href="/facts/1764_in_science/ok32J8n4">1764</a>)</li></ul> <h2 id="deaths">Deaths</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/February_3/5zp8ahYw">February 3</a> – <a href="/facts/Elizabeth_Walker_(pharmacist)/oR2t3Wvs">Elizabeth Walker</a>, English pharmacist (born <a href="/facts/1623_in_science/I2tlJEws">1623</a>)</li> <li>October 13 – <a href="/facts/Ole_Borch/BGpM6gXA">Ole Borch</a>, <a href="/facts/Danes/bUt1hyMQ">Danish</a> <a href="/facts/Polymath/eqIfjQRu">polymath</a> (born <a href="/facts/1626_in_science/cbx452Jw">1626</a>)</li> <li>October 22 <i>(bur.)</i> – <a href="/facts/William_Ball_(astronomer)/kpUkeYAm">William Ball</a>, <a href="/facts/English_people/IeI9c7BK">English</a> <a href="/facts/Astronomer/ronF8j4a">astronomer</a> (born c. <a href="/facts/1631_in_science/D7HVBA0p">1631</a>)</li></ul>