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1831 in science
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<h2 id="astronomy">Astronomy</h2> <ul><li>January 7 – Great Comet of 1831 (C/1831 A1, 1830 II) first observed by <a href="/facts/John_Herapath/NlnDC3ds">John Herapath</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a></li> <li>March 7 – <a href="/facts/Royal_Astronomical_Society/FY4DbvNW">Royal Astronomical Society</a> receives its <a href="/facts/Royal_Charter/9R9nIJDR">Royal Charter</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Heinrich_Schwabe/sxI99hWP">Heinrich Schwabe</a> makes the first detailed drawing of the <a href="/facts/Great_Red_Spot/8gbPpAJB">Great Red Spot</a> on <a href="/facts/Jupiter/95m7XjMT">Jupiter</a>.</li> <li><a href="/facts/Mary_Somerville/GhatBM97">Mary Somerville</a> translates <a href="/facts/Laplace/6ktp0txb">Laplace</a>'s <i>Mécanique céleste</i> as <i>The Mechanism of the Heavens</i>.</li></ul> <h2 id="biology">Biology</h2> <ul><li>September 1 – <a href="/facts/Dublin_Zoo/Wfzsw1h2">Zoological Gardens, Dublin</a>, open in <a href="/facts/Ireland/35vYxXdP">Ireland</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Robert_Brown_(botanist,_born_1773)/Yf68N7tb">Robert Brown</a> names the <a href="/facts/Cell_nucleus/D7sFRa3c">cell nucleus</a>, in a paper to the <a href="/facts/Linnean_Society_of_London/fqoxNBjx">Linnean Society of London</a>.</li></ul> <h2 id="chemistry">Chemistry</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Antoine_Bussy/bhXcWMhg">A. A. Bussy</a> publishes his <i>Mémoire sur le Radical métallique de la Magnésie </i> describing his method of isolating <a href="/facts/Magnesium/XyIhd2FG">magnesium</a>.</li> <li>The <a href="/facts/Kaliapparat/FD7dqgjF">Kaliapparat</a>, a laboratory device for the analysis of carbon in organic compounds, is invented by <a href="/facts/Justus_von_Liebig/0vKzMlDA">Justus von Liebig</a>.</li></ul> <h2 id="exploration">Exploration</h2> <ul><li>June 1 – British <a href="/facts/Royal_Navy/Xdy8YCH7">Royal Navy</a> officer <a href="/facts/James_Clark_Ross/oybMx7Yd">James Clark Ross</a> locates the position of the <a href="/facts/North_Magnetic_Pole/hyFcL5yf">North Magnetic Pole</a> on the <a href="/facts/Boothia_Peninsula/WzTnK3Pg">Boothia Peninsula</a>.</li> <li>December 27 – <a href="/facts/Charles_Darwin/uwDLGItY">Charles Darwin</a> starts his voyage on <a href="/facts/HMS_Beagle/65CVQxEK">HMS <i>Beagle</i></a> from <a href="/facts/Plymouth/FhYcrnqf">Plymouth</a>.</li></ul> <h2 id="medicine">Medicine</h2> <ul><li>May 16 – <a href="/facts/St_Bernard%27s_Hospital,_Hanwell/sbkgoSK5">Middlesex County Asylum</a> for pauper lunatics opens at <a href="/facts/Hanwell/SLERDRtA">Hanwell</a> near London under the humane superintendence of <a href="/facts/William_Charles_Ellis/LHRAerLL">William Charles Ellis</a>.</li> <li>Dr <a href="/facts/Charles_Thackrah/YoklfueI">C. Turner Thackrah</a> publishes <i>The Effects of the Principal Arts, Trades, and Professions, and of Civic States and Habits of Living, on Health and Longevity, with a particular reference to the trades and manufactures of Leeds, and suggestions for the removal of many of the agents which produce disease and shorten the duration of life</i>, a pioneering study of <a href="/facts/Occupational_health/ko1IeS92">occupational</a> and <a href="/facts/Public_health/4563Kre9">public health</a> in a newly industrialised English city.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a></li></ul> <h2 id="paleontology">Paleontology</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Henry_Witham/64JhDWUb">Henry Witham</a> publishes <i>Observations on fossil vegetables, accompanied by representations of their internal structure, as seen through the microscope</i> in <a href="/facts/Edinburgh/PcsoaK9h">Edinburgh</a>.</li></ul> <h2 id="technology">Technology</h2> <ul><li>April 12 – <a href="/facts/Broughton_Suspension_Bridge/NqKWAr3x">Broughton Suspension Bridge</a> over the <a href="/facts/River_Irwell/DJWTrBUc">River Irwell</a> in <a href="/facts/England/U9mE5bGL">England</a> <a href="/facts/List_of_bridge_failures/fVnQCSzA">collapses</a> under marching troops.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a></li> <li>August 29 – <a href="/facts/Michael_Faraday/NDcc3lyt">Michael Faraday</a> demonstrates <a href="/facts/Electromagnetic_induction/T36JjtgY">electromagnetic induction</a> at the <a href="/facts/Royal_Society/KI5yXCuV">Royal Society</a> of London.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> <a href="/facts/Joseph_Henry/Hr7CTgct">Joseph Henry</a> recognises it at about the same time.</li> <li>October 28 – Faraday develops the <a href="/facts/Faraday_Wheel/E0Yqt9mJ">Faraday Wheel</a>, a <a href="/facts/Homopolar_generator/E0Yqt9mJ">homopolar generator</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Joseph_Henry/Hr7CTgct">Joseph Henry</a> invents the <a href="/facts/Electric_bell/Ap6xfDIm">electric bell</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a></li> <li><a href="/facts/James_Meadows_Rendel_(engineer)/RsXxXCHD">James Meadows Rendel</a> erects the first <a href="/facts/Bascule_bridge/H7Hfx1Bv">bascule bridge</a> with a <a href="/facts/Hydraulic/KSIqLovc">hydraulic</a> mechanism, on the <a href="/facts/Kingsbridge_Estuary/B8x5scIY">Kingsbridge Estuary</a> in England.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a></li> <li><a href="/facts/William_Wallace_(mathematician)/KPxrPjQX">William Wallace</a> invents the <a href="/facts/Eidograph/5m9oDekm">eidograph</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a></li></ul> <h2 id="institutions">Institutions</h2> <ul><li>September 27 – <a href="/facts/British_Association_for_the_Advancement_of_Science/q1DLURYh">British Association for the Advancement of Science</a> first meets, in <a href="/facts/York/yzCEPtHz">York</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a></li></ul> <h2 id="awards">Awards</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Copley_Medal/bBwd6QzN">Copley Medal</a>: <a href="/facts/George_Biddell_Airy/R16bNg0k">George Biddell Airy</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Wollaston_Medal/uVkuXBYJ">Wollaston Medal</a> (first award): <a href="/facts/William_Smith_(geologist)/3IpguaqC">William Smith</a></li></ul> <h2 id="births">Births</h2> <ul><li>January 20 – <a href="/facts/Edward_Routh/aEHbbUQK">Edward Routh</a> (died <a href="/facts/1907_in_science/6kN1ef3W">1907</a>), Canadian-born English <a href="/facts/Mathematician/eaFSR8Fx">mathematician</a>.</li> <li>January 26 – <a href="/facts/Heinrich_Anton_de_Bary/VoCXNFcz">Heinrich Anton de Bary</a> (died <a href="/facts/1888_in_science/fyVznYuU">1888</a>), <a href="/facts/Germans/F7mBCrJ4">German</a> <a href="/facts/Surgery/fG8tWf5Y">surgeon</a>, <a href="/facts/Botanist/PaIRoxnb">botanist</a>, <a href="/facts/Microbiologist/cqEyJwNK">microbiologist</a> and <a href="/facts/Mycologist/rzC12BLF">mycologist</a>.</li> <li>February 28 – <a href="/facts/Edward_James_Stone/DuPoNxlW">Edward James Stone</a> (died <a href="/facts/1897_in_science/1IcNGmU5">1897</a>), English <a href="/facts/Astronomer/ronF8j4a">astronomer</a>.</li> <li>March 3 – <a href="/facts/George_Pullman/MM7UDkDc">George Pullman</a> (died <a href="/facts/1897_in_science/1IcNGmU5">1897</a>), American <a href="/facts/Inventor/P3LdUHBY">inventor</a>.</li> <li>May 16 – <a href="/facts/David_E._Hughes/xkE0SvxN">David E. Hughes</a> (died <a href="/facts/1900_in_science/tY9grWXa">1900</a>), British inventor.</li> <li>June 13 – <a href="/facts/James_Clerk_Maxwell/jtYyze61">James Clerk Maxwell</a> (died <a href="/facts/1879_in_science/6aYnyD1n">1879</a>), Scottish-born mathematician.</li> <li>August 20 – <a href="/facts/Eduard_Suess/PaRlle8J">Eduard Suess</a> (died <a href="/facts/1914_in_science/syUzlX5D">1914</a>), Austrian <a href="/facts/Geologist/vGc0tBHB">geologist</a>.</li> <li>October 6 – <a href="/facts/Richard_Dedekind/CLkWDhY3">Richard Dedekind</a> (died <a href="/facts/1916_in_science/bafd4Cjp">1916</a>), German mathematician.</li> <li>October 15 – <a href="/facts/Isabella_Bird/fTYrh3lI">Isabella Bird</a> (died <a href="/facts/1904_in_science/qfWv7vt5">1904</a>), English explorer, writer, photographer and naturalist.</li> <li>October 21 – <a href="/facts/Hermann_Hellriegel/YM6CeRFq">Hermann Hellriegel</a> (died <a href="/facts/1895_in_science/j51E1l1p">1895</a>), German <a href="/facts/Agricultural_chemist/N2XJxJKG">agricultural chemist</a>, discoverer of the mechanism by which <a href="/facts/Leguminosae/uxuHNdAr">leguminous plants</a> assimilate the free <a href="/facts/Nitrogen/Nf1QpGDz">nitrogen</a> of the atmosphere.</li> <li>October 29 – <a href="/facts/Othniel_Charles_Marsh/TBr5FRvk">Othniel Charles Marsh</a> (died <a href="/facts/1899_in_science/eeGQg6tL">1899</a>), American <a href="/facts/Paleontologist/60n5yldd">paleontologist</a>.</li> <li>December 5 – <a href="/facts/Hans_Heinrich_Landolt/UTG1qMwR">Hans Heinrich Landolt</a> (died <a href="/facts/1910_in_science/Auegqwd7">1910</a>), Swiss-born chemist.</li></ul> <h2 id="deaths">Deaths</h2> <ul><li>February 14 – <a href="/facts/Henry_Maudslay/Tgsv16c5">Henry Maudslay</a> (born <a href="/facts/1771_in_science/fXlqQLLE">1771</a>), English mechanical engineer.</li> <li>March 26 - <a href="/facts/Pierre_Amable_Jean-Baptiste_Trannoy/rFmLydYp">Pierre Amable Jean-Baptiste Trannoy</a> (born <a href="/facts/1772_in_science/zyDLwvxa">1772</a>), French physician, hygienist and botanist.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a></li> <li>June 27 – <a href="/facts/Sophie_Germain/WkP5RPyU">Sophie Germain</a> (born <a href="/facts/1776_in_science/gEMXTQJq">1776</a>), French <a href="/facts/Mathematician/eaFSR8Fx">mathematician</a>.</li> <li>October 14 – <a href="/facts/Jean-Louis_Pons/eCrCwxmx">Jean-Louis Pons</a> (born <a href="/facts/1761_in_science/w0nj7xGb">1761</a>, French astronomer.</li> <li>December 22 – <a href="/facts/Fran%C3%A7ois_Huber/znu2LhpK">François Huber</a> (born <a href="/facts/1750_in_science/7p8XM6jE">1750</a>), blind Swiss naturalist.</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Herapath, John (1831). "SAO/NASA ADS Astronomy Abstract Service". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 2: 6. Bibcode:1831MNRAS...2....6H. Retrieved 2011-02-06. <a href="http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=1831MNRAS...2....6H&db_key=AST" target="_blank">http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=1831MNRAS...2....6H&db_key=AST</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"A brief history of the RAS". Royal Astronomical Society. Archived from the original on 30 January 2011. Retrieved 2011-02-06. <a href="http://www.ras.org.uk/about-the-ras/a-brief-history" target="_blank">http://www.ras.org.uk/about-the-ras/a-brief-history</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"History Of Dublin Zoo". Family Fun. Retrieved 2011-12-20. <a href="http://www.familyfun.ie/dublin-zoo/" target="_blank">http://www.familyfun.ie/dublin-zoo/</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Hunt, Tristram (2004). Building Jerusalem: the rise and fall of the Victorian city. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. ISBN 0-297-60767-7. <a href="0-297-60767-7" target="_blank">0-297-60767-7</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Bishop, R.E.D. (1979). Vibration (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-22779-8. <a href="0-521-22779-8" target="_blank">0-521-22779-8</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>"Icons, a portrait of England 1820-1840". Archived from the original on 22 September 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-12. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070922055840/http://www.icons.org.uk/theicons/icons-timeline/1820-1840" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20070922055840/http://www.icons.org.uk/theicons/icons-timeline/1820-1840</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Penguin Pocket On This Day. Penguin Reference Library. 2006. ISBN 0-14-102715-0. <a href="0-14-102715-0" target="_blank">0-14-102715-0</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Scientific writings of Joseph Henry. Vol. 30. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution. 1886. p. 434. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=w6cKAAAAIAAJ&q=%22joseph+henry%22+%22i+arranged+around+one+of+the+upper+rooms%22&pg=PA434" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/books?id=w6cKAAAAIAAJ&q=%22joseph+henry%22+%22i+arranged+around+one+of+the+upper+rooms%22&pg=PA434</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Clarke, Mike (2009-01-05). "A Brief History of Movable Bridges". Retrieved 2012-02-09. <a href="http://www.mikeclarke.myzen.co.uk/Movable%20Bridges.html" target="_blank">http://www.mikeclarke.myzen.co.uk/Movable%20Bridges.html</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Waterston, Charles D.; Shearer, A. Macmillan (July 2006). Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783-2002: Biographical Index (PDF). Vol. 2. Royal Society of Edinburgh. p. 964. ISBN 978-0-902198-84-5. Retrieved 2012-01-23. <a href="978-0-902198-84-5" target="_blank">978-0-902198-84-5</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Palmer, Alan; Palmer, Veronica (1992). The Chronology of British History. London: Century Ltd. pp. 257–258. ISBN 0-7126-5616-2. <a href="0-7126-5616-2" target="_blank">0-7126-5616-2</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>"Copley Medal | British scientific award". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 22 July 2020. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/Copley-Medal" target="_blank">https://www.britannica.com/science/Copley-Medal</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>"Date of death on the decennial table, page 191". archives.somme.fr (in French). Retrieved 5 March 2021. <a href="https://archives.somme.fr/ark:/58483/1d93k5tjs8vx/d16ccb72-569a-4d51-9d30-891a3d500277" target="_blank">https://archives.somme.fr/ark:/58483/1d93k5tjs8vx/d16ccb72-569a-4d51-9d30-891a3d500277</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>