Edmond Halley

8 November 1656 – 25 January 1742

Edmond Halley (1656-1742) was an English astronomer, mathematician, and physicist best known for computing the orbit of the comet that now bears his name and correctly predicting its return. He catalogued the stars of the southern sky, financed and encouraged the publication of Newton's Principia, and served as Astronomer Royal from 1720 until his death.

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Life events

Born in Haggerston, near London
8 November 1656

Edmond Halley was born in Haggerston, Shoreditch, the son of a prosperous soap-maker.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Entered The Queen's College, Oxford
1673

Halley began studying at Oxford, where he published papers on astronomy while still an undergraduate.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Voyaged to Saint Helena to chart the southern stars
1676 – 1678

Halley left Oxford without a degree to travel to the South Atlantic island of Saint Helena, where he observed the southern sky.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Published Catalogus Stellarum Australium and elected Fellow of the Royal Society
1678

Halley's catalogue of 341 southern stars earned him election to the Royal Society at the age of 22.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Married Mary Tooke
1682

Halley married Mary Tooke at St James's Church, Duke's Place, in London; the couple had three children.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Financed and oversaw the publication of Newton's Principia
1687

Halley encouraged Isaac Newton to write the Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica and paid for its printing at his own expense.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Appointed Savilian Professor of Geometry at Oxford
1704

Halley took up the Savilian chair of geometry at the University of Oxford.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Published A Synopsis of the Astronomy of Comets predicting the return of Halley's Comet
1705

Using Newtonian mechanics, Halley showed that the comets of 1531, 1607, and 1682 were one object and predicted its return in 1758, a prediction confirmed after his death.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Appointed Astronomer Royal
1720

Halley succeeded John Flamsteed as the second Astronomer Royal at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Died at Greenwich
25 January 1742

Halley died at Greenwich and was buried at St Margaret's Church, Lee, in south-east London.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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