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The year 1791 in science and technology involved some significant events.

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).

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.

Medicine

  • May 7 – Irish surgeon Samuel Croker-King first describes his trepanning device.

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.

Publications

  • Sir John Sinclair's Statistical Account of Scotland begins publication, introducing the term Statistics into English.

Awards

  • Copley Medal: James Rennell; Jean-André Deluc

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)

References