June 13
1508: Humanist and philosopher Alessandro Piccolomini born. Piccolomini will promote vernacular translations of Latin and Greek scientific and philosophical treatises.
1555: Mathematician, cartographer, and astronomer Giovanni Antonio Magini born. He will support a geocentric system of the world, in preference to Copernicus's heliocentric system.
1580: Astronomer and mathematician Willebrord Snellius born. In 1615 he will conduct a large-scale experiment to measure the circumference of the earth using triangulation, underestimating the circumference of the earth by 3.5%.
1773: Polymath and physician Thomas Young born. Young will make notable scientific contributions to the fields of vision, light, solid mechanics, energy, physiology, language, musical harmony, and Egyptology.
1831: Physicist and mathematician James Clerk Maxwell born. His discoveries will help usher in the era of modern physics, laying the foundation for such fields as special relativity and quantum mechanics.
1854: Engineer and inventor Charles Algernon Parsons born. He will invent the compound steam turbine, and work on dynamo and turbine design, power generation, and optical equipment for searchlights and telescopes.
1931: Mathematician and academic Herbert Saul Wilf born. Wilf specialized in combinatorics and graph theory.
2021: Angus.