1600s |
Chronomedia index
Numbers after entries link to the list of references. |
links and notes |
1602 November 8 |
The Bodleian Library is established in Oxford. |
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1607 November 26 |
Mr William Shakespeare His History of King Lear is believed to be the first
book for which a copyright claim is made in the Entry Book of Copies at the Stationers' Company in London. |
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1608 October 2 |
Optical telescope first built by Hans Lippershey (c1570-1619) in the Netherlands. |
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1635 |
The first public mail service in the UK is established by royal proclamation.
Private services are discouraged. |
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1636 |
Professor Daniel Schwenter at the University of Altdorf in Germany invents a
complex lens unit for use in camera obscura devices. It comprises a hollow wooden ball
through which passes a tube containing two lenses of different focal lengths. |
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1642 |
All English theatres are closed by Act of Parliament, a ban that lasts for
18 years until 1660. |
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1646 |
Athanasius Kircher (1601/2-1680), a Thuringian Jesuit father, describes the
principle of the magic lantern, combining the camera obscura with an objective lens, in
his Ars Magna Lucis et Umbrae. |
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1650 |
The physicist dArcy redefines the persistence of vision theory. |
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1656 January 8 |
First edition of Weeckelycke Courante van Europa, a newspaper, printed on
both sides of a single sheet of paper, published in Haarlem, Holland and carrying news from across
Europe. It is believed to be the first newspaper. |
> 1702 |
1657 |
In England, the Commonwealth government under Oliver Cromwell creates the Post Office. |
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1659 |
Christian Huygens (1629-1695) in Holland builds a magic lantern. [Huygens
proposed the wave theory of light, discovered polarisation and developed the pendulum clock.] |
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1660 |
The ban on theatres in Britain is revoked with the
restoration of the monarchy. The first professional actress makes an appearance. |
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1660 |
The General Post Office is established in Great Britain. In its 309 years of
existence it will have responsibility for such matters as telegraphy, wireless telegraphy, telephony
and broadcasting. |
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1662 |
Thomas Rasmussen Walgenstein in Denmark invents a projection lamp with an
artificial light source. |
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1663 |
Magic lanterns are on sale in London from Reeves opticians firm. |
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1663 |
First publication of Erbauliche Monaths-Unterredungen (Uplifting
Conversations Monthly) in Germany, believed to be the world's first magazine. |
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1666 |
Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) uses a prism to split white light into the colours
of the spectrum. He does not explain his theories until elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1672. |
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1668 |
Giornale de' letterati di Roma is the first magazine published in Italy. The
editor is Francesco Nazzari. |
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1676 |
Danish astronomer Ole Römer (1644-1710) discovers that light has a velocity. |
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1676 |
Johann Sturm devises a portable camera obscura in which the image captured by
the lens is reflected within a wooden box via a mirror onto a sheet of oiled paper. |
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1678 |
John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress is published in London. |
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1695 |
Sturm's camera obscura (see 1676) is improved by Johann Zahn, who paints
the side of the box black and replaces the oiled paper with a sheet of frosted glass. |
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