Australia and the Transit of Venus

1980 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 114-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Bray
Keyword(s):  
East Coast ◽  
18Th Century ◽  
The Sun ◽  
History Of Astronomy ◽  
World Science ◽  
James Cook ◽  
The Face ◽  
History Of ◽  
George Iii ◽  
Living Person

The passage of the planet Venus across the face of the Sun is an astronomical spectacle which no living person is likely to have seen. The phenomenon has played an important role in the history of astronomy and in stimulating world science and geographical discovery during the 18th century. But to Australia the transit of 1769 is of truly momentous significance: during the course of an expedition to the South Seas specially organized to observe it, Lt. James Cook discovered and chartered the east coast of Australia, hoisted the English flag, and took possession in the name of King George III.

Introductory remarks

1978 ◽  
Vol 291 (1378) ◽  
pp. 3-4
Keyword(s):  
Royal Society ◽  
Accurate Determination ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
James Cook ◽  
The Face ◽  
George Iii ◽  
The Universe ◽  
Do So

What we are here to discuss concerns the Great Barrier Reef of Australia. It is very fitting that we should do so in this place, because the Royal Society was intimately concerned with events that led to its discovery in 1770. We go back to 1716, to a communication printed in Latin in the Philosophical Transactions by Edmond Halley, then Savilean Professor of Geometry at Oxford and Secretary of this Society. There, and for no less an objective than the more accurate determination of the dimensions of the Universe, he drew attention to the unique opportunities to that end to be presented by observing the transits of Venus across the face of the Sun due on 6 June 1761 and 3 June 1769. In the event international observations in the former year were largely fruitless, giving added reason for adequate observations in 1769. One of the conclusions of the specially appointed Transit Committee of the Society was that one site for observation should be in the South Seas. A direct appeal to George III produced one of the earliest grants of money for purely scientific purposes, and even more to the point the Admiralty was in almost enthusiastic agreement. Sweeping aside the Committee’s proposal that Dalrymple should head the expedition, the Admiralty selected Mr James Cook, previously surveyor of the lower reaches of the St Lawrence and of the coasts of Newfoundland. He was now commissioned Lieutenant of H. M. S. Endeavour , and the transit was to be observed from the island of Tahiti recently discovered by Wallis on H. M. S. Dolphin .

scholarly journals Tasawuf di Masyarakat Banjar : Kesinambungan dan Perubahan Tradisi Keagamaan

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 153
Author(s):  
Mujiburrahman Mujiburrahman
Keyword(s):  
18Th Century ◽  
The Other ◽  
Political Crisis ◽  
Early 20Th Century ◽  
Social Changes ◽  
The Reformation ◽  
The Face ◽  
History Of ◽  
Ibn Arabi ◽  
Sufi Order

<div><p><strong>Abstract :</strong> Sufism has influenced the religious life of Banjarese Muslims in South Kalimantan since the 18th century up to now. The tendency to combine ethical Sufism of al-Ghazali and metaphysical Sufism of Ibn Arabi, and the veneration of Sufi masters in the reading ritual of their hagiographies, and the emergence of certain heterodox Sufi  sects, all of these can be found along history of Islam in this region. On the other hand, there are social changes that have also influenced the colour of Sufism developed in certain period. In the 18th century, orthodox Sufism fought against pantheism which was presumably came from Hindu origin, but in the 19th and early 20th century, Sufism became a social movement, namely a certian Sufi Order that was involved in the war against the Dutch. In the later period, Sufism became the source of moral and spiritual strength in the face of social, cultural and political crisis. Moreover, since the Reformation Era, Sufi masters and their followers have become potential allies as voters for politicians.</p><p><em>Keywords : sufism, banjar, tradition, social changes</em></p><p> </p><p><strong>Abstrak :</strong> Tasawuf telah mempengaruhi kehidupan keagamaan Muslim Banjar di Kalimantan Selatan, sejak abad ke-18 hingga sekarang. Kecenderungan untuk menggabungkan tasawuf etis al-Ghazali dan tasawuf metafisis Ibn Arabi, penghormatan terhadap tokoh-tokoh sufi dalam ritual pembacaan manakib, dan munculnya kelompok-kelompok tasawuf sempalan, semua ini dapat ditemukan sepanjang sejarah Islam di daerah ini. Di sisi lain, ada berbagai perubahan sosial yang juga mempengaruhi corak tasawuf yang berkembang di masa tertentu. Pada abad ke-18, tasawuf ortodoks harus berhadapan dengan panteisme, yang diduga berasal dari Hinduisme, tetapi pada abad ke-19 dan awal abad ke-20, tasawuf menjadi gerakan sosial, yaitu tarekat tertentu yang terlibat dalam perang melawan Belanda. Dalam periode berikutnya, tasawuf menjadi sumber kekuatan moral dan spiritual dalam menghadapi krisis sosial, budaya dan politik. Selain itu, sejak Era Reformasi guru-guru tasawuf dan para pengikut mereka, menjadi sekutu-sekutu potensial sebagai pemilih bagi para politisi. </p><p><em>Kata kunci : Tasawuf, banjar, tradisi, perubahan sosial.</em></p></div>

‘The Noblest Soul’: A Sad Page in the History of the Grand Duchy of Hesse through the Eyes of Grand Duke Sergey Alexandrovich. The Darmstadt Diary, 1892

2018 ◽  
pp. 495-507
Author(s):  
Dmitriy M. Sofjin ◽  
◽  
Marina V. Sofjina ◽  
Keyword(s):  
18Th Century ◽  
Royal Family ◽  
German Empire ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Face ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Russian Federation ◽  
Imperial Family ◽  
German Navy ◽  
Grand Duchy

This is the first publication of a fragment of the diary of Grand Duke Sergey Alexandrovich of Russia for 1892 describing illness, death, and burial of Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse and by Rhine, head of one of the states forming a part of the German Empire. Ever since the 18th century the Russian Imperial Family was bound by close kinship to the Hessian ducal family. The author of the diary was a member of the House of the Romanovs, a younger brother of Russian Emperor Alexander III. Grand Duke Sergey Alexandrovich held the post of the Moscow Governor-General. In 1884 he married Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, n?e Princess of Hesse, who was a daughter of Grand Duke Ludwig IV. This publication includes diary records from February 26 to March 9, 1892, covering the time when Grand Duke Sergey Alexandrovich and his wife were staying in Darmstadt. The diary describes the daily life of the Royal family in the capital of the Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine during said period and the participation in the obsequies of the deceased’s family and the representatives of the Russian, British and German ruling dynasties. Among others, the Grand Duke Sergey Alexandrovich’s diary mentions German Dowager Empress Victoria (the mother of Emperor Wilhelm II), Prince Henry of Prussia (the future Grand Admiral of the Imperial German Navy), Prince Louis Battenberg (the future British First Sea Lord), Princess Alice of Hesse, the younger sister of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, future Russian Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. The daily entries record family unity of the members of the Russian, the German, and the British Royal dynasties in the face of common tragedy against the backdrop of difficult relations between their empires. The deceased, Grand Duke Ludwig IV, enjoyed universal respect. Diaries of Grand Duke Sergey Alexandrovich are stored in his personal provenance fond in the State Archive of the Russian Federation (Moscow).

scholarly journals Sciences of walking: a history of locomotion research

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Mayer
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Orthopedic Surgery ◽  
18Th Century ◽  
Human Gait ◽  
Historical Account ◽  
Late 18Th Century ◽  
Long Time ◽  
The Face ◽  
History Of

Most people consider walking to be a natural and self-evident activity of everyday life. However, this familiarity turns out to be fragile in the face of the question "Do you know how you walk?" The mechanism of walking has puzzled scientists, doctors and writers for a long time. In my book Wissenschaft vom Gehen (Fischer, 2013), I have tried to provide a historical account of those forms of investigations of the human gait, some of the famous, others marginal and largely forgotten, that emerged at the intersection of a variety of disciplines (physiology, neurology, orthopedic surgery, anthropology, psychiatry) since the late 18th century. In my paper, I retrace – in five steps – the historical career of the sciences of walking throughout the 19th century.

41. History of Astronomy (Histoire De L’astronomie)

1988 ◽  
Vol 20 (01) ◽  
pp. 567-568
Author(s):  
J.A. Eddy ◽  
J.D. North ◽  
S. Debarbat ◽  
H. Eelsalu ◽  
O. Pedersen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
18Th Century ◽  
Far East ◽  
New Delhi ◽  
History Of Astronomy ◽  
Hellenistic World ◽  
History Of ◽  
Introductory Paper ◽  
Fundamental Research ◽  
The University ◽  
Ancient Astronomy

Commission 41 has been involved in one colloquium and one symposium since the last report:IAU Colloquium 91 on “The History of Oriental Astronomy” was held in New Delhi, November 13-16, 1985, preceding the XlXth General Assembly. Members of the scientific organizing committee were S.M.R. Ansari, E.S. Kennedy, D. King, R. Mercier, O. Pedersen, D. Pingree, G. Saliba, Xi Ze-Zong and K. Yabuuti. The colloquium was co-sponsored by the International Union for the History and Philosophy of Science, and by a number of organizations in India: the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, the Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi, the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore, the Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bombay, and the University Grants Commission, New Delhi. The local organizing committee, chaired by G. Swarup, made possible a number of local excursions, including a conducted tour of the great stone open air observatory, built in the city by the enlightened Maharadjah Jai Singh in the 18th century. The colloquium brought 84 participants from 19 countries. 46 papers were presented of which 10 were invited, covering aspects of astronomy in the far east and middle east since the earliest civilizations. Papers from Colloquium 91 have now been published in book form: History of Oriental Astronomy, G. Swarup, A.K. Bag, and K.S. Shukla, editors, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England, 1987. Contributions are divided into three broad categories: ancient astronomy and its characteristics, ancient elements and planetary models, and medieval astronomy. Within these are papers on the characteristics and achievements of early astronomy in the eastern half of the world, including inter-regional development and mutual influences, ancient data relating to eclipses, supernovae and comets, medieval astronomical developments, instruments and early observatories, and the interplay between observational and theoretical astronomy. A short introductory paper by the revered historian E.S. Kennedy opens the book, as it set the stage for the colloquium in New Delhi: “We find (astronomy) originating a few centuries before the Christian era in two disparate cultures, Mesopotamia and the Hellenistic world. From the Mediterranean it passed to India, there to flourish. Thence the centroid of activity moved westward, residing in the lands of Islam during medieval times, more recently in Europe. Now astronomical research is carried out throughout the entire world.”

scholarly journals Fighting Pestilence in Old Poland as Presented in the 18th Century Żywiec Chronicle

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-54
Author(s):  
Beata Stuchlik-Surowiak
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Sensitivity ◽  
18Th Century ◽  
Rhetorical Analysis ◽  
Cultural Analysis ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
New Meanings ◽  
The Face ◽  
History Of ◽  
Old Republic ◽  
Cultural Reality

The article presents the problem of dealing with the pestilence (pol. morowe powietrze, “pestilent air”) on the territory of the old Republic of Poland, with particular focus on the Żywiec County in the 16th to 8th century. The paper attempts to answer the questions of how the medics of that time dealt with epidemics, what actions were taken by ordinary people for whom the raging plague was often the result of the interference of demonic forces, and finally, what preventive measures against the plague were proposed to the faithful by the Church. The source for the considerations is the Chronografia albo Dziejopis żywiecki [Chronography or the Żywiec Chronicle], the account of history of the town of Żywiec and the surrounding area covering the years 1400–1728, written by the mayor, Andrzej Komoniecki (1659–1729). The Chronicle brings back an extraordinarily colorful picture of old customs, beliefs and superstitions, as well as paramedical practices, which to our contemporary cultural sensitivity may appear bizarre, gruesome and terrifying. In preparing the article, the author also used extensive literature, primarily in the history of medicine.Among the research methods used in the study, it is worth mentioning, first of all: the explicative method, the method of document research, the method of analysis and criticism of sources, the method of cultural analysis and the method of stylistic-rhetorical analysis. In contemporary socio-cultural reality, the reading of the Chronografia takes on new meanings. In the context of the pandemic that struck the world in the 21st century, the extremely accurate accounts of the Żywiec chronicler seem particularly interesting, as they allow us to compare the attitude of our old Polish ancestors and ourselves in the face of a similar threat. This comparative leads us to believe that some of the measures taken to prevent the spread of infections, such as keeping a distance, limiting the number of participants at funerals, or not letting strangers into towns, are still taken today, while others, such as locking the sick up in huts, setting fire to infected houses, burying plague victims under fences, drowning them in rivers, or desecrating the bodies of the dead suspected of having caused the plague, are now happily forgotten.

scholarly journals The aquatic context of Caisteal Ormacleit, South Uist, Outer Hebrides

2018 ◽  
Vol 147 ◽  
pp. 243-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stewart Angus
Keyword(s):  
Building Materials ◽  
East Coast ◽  
18Th Century ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
High Status ◽  
Historical Sources ◽  
Outer Hebrides ◽  
History Of ◽  
Canal Network

Caisteal Ormacleit [Ormiclate Castle], on the west side of South Uist, was constructed in the early 18th century by Clanranald for his wife Penelope, reputedly in the style of a French chateau, incorporating building materials imported from or via the east coast of South Uist at a time when there were neither roads nor carts. This high-status building (arguably more a fine house than a castle) and its origins and construction are reviewed in the context of historical sources, geology and topography. The history of the building and that of the couple for whom it was built had close associations with the Jacobite battles of 1689 (Killiecrankie) and 1715 (Sheriffmuir). The possible canal sections are reviewed in detail and a convincing case is provided for the existence of a canal network between the east coast of the Uists and the western situation of Caisteal Ormacleit, linking the Olaidh lochs, thus confirming the local tradition that the inland lochs of the Uists were used for boat-based transport and supporting the case for the existence of a wider navigable network within the Uist interior. Past intervention in water management has to be investigated in order to plan for future climate change impacts, and the Olaidh network is reviewed in this context.

scholarly journals Physics at the University of Lviv since the 17th century until the second world war: Addenda to the bibliography

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 47-73
Author(s):  
Andrij Rovenchak ◽  
Olena Kiktyeva ◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
18Th Century ◽  
Second World War ◽  
Theoretical Physics ◽  
History Of Astronomy ◽  
World War ◽  
Experimental Physics ◽  
History Of ◽  
Complete Bibliography ◽  
The University ◽  
Second World

Previously, an attempt was made to compile in a series of papers a complete bibliography of works related to physics at the University of Lviv. The period since the foundation of the University in 1661 until the division of the Chair of Physics in 1872 was discussed by Rovenchak (2014). Special attention was paid to the development of theoretical physics, starting from the first professor, Oskar Fabian (Rovenchak 2009), followed by the famous physicist Marian Smoluchowski (Rovenchak 2012), and finally the Interbellum (Rovenchak 2013). The history of astronomy at the University of Lviv, albeit without a special bibliographic section, is presented by Novosyadlyj (2011) and Apunevych et al. (2011). The development of the experimental physics since 1872 still awaits a detailed study. The present paper will provide some additions to this bibliography: firstly with the descriptions of several missing early works from the 17th and 18th century and then, with a presentation of the activity of Wojciech Urbański. It is followed by a couple of works by Oskar Fabian and Marian Smoluchowski. Finally, minor complements to the bibliographic lists from the 1930s will be made, including popular newspaper articles. We strive to present the bibliographic description as completely as possible, in particular by avoiding abbreviations in names and titles, so that readers can extract any information of their interest. All items were examined de visu except for those marked with an asterisk (*) after the number. Przedstawione materiały, dotyczące fizyki na Uniwersytecie Lwowskim na przestrzeni wieków od XVII do XX, będą przydatne dla dalszych badań historii fizyki i bibliografii nauk przyrodniczych w Europie Środkowej i Wschodniej.

James Cook bicentenary celebrations in New Zealand

1970 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 189-193
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Prime Minister ◽  
Main Flow ◽  
Capital City ◽  
James Cook ◽  
The Public ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Government ◽  
The City

THE enthusiasm with which the Government and people of New Zealand celebrated the bicentennial of the Endeavour's landfall and the first landing of Europeans on 9 October 1769, at the site where the City of Gisborne now stands, has firmly established James Cook as the outstanding national hero in the history of this young country. In the capital city of Wellington, national celebration of the bicentenary began on 3 October when the Prime Minister, The Rt Hon. Keith Holyoake, opened a Cook Exhibition in the Dominion Museum that will remain open to the public for ten months. Guests on that occasion also previewed the film prepared in New Zealand for exhibition overseas: ‘Your humble and obedient servant, James Cook.’ The Government had agreed that the main national celebrations should be focused on Gisborne. This country town of somewhat less than 30,000 people (not without some similarities to the Endeavour’s home port of Whitby) responded warmly to the honour. Somewhat peripheral to the main flow of tourist and industrial traffic, Gisborne is the business, administrative and market centre for the East Coast, an extensive area of hilly grazing country producing wool and mutton; Gisborne also ranks fourth in New Zealand as a fishing port and the fishing industry continues to grow. Gisborne district has a large and increasing population of Maori people (Ngati-porou tribe) who play a prominent and increasing role in the life of the city. They comprise a higher percentage of the population than in any other district of New Zealand and actively promote their cultural heritage, following the inspiration of the late Sir Apirana Ngata, a notable leader in the district.

scholarly journals Sciences of walking: a history of locomotion research

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Mayer
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Orthopedic Surgery ◽  
18Th Century ◽  
Human Gait ◽  
Historical Account ◽  
Late 18Th Century ◽  
Long Time ◽  
The Face ◽  
History Of

Most people consider walking to be a natural and self-evident activity of everyday life. However, this familiarity turns out to be fragile in the face of the question "Do you know how you walk?" The mechanism of walking has puzzled scientists, doctors and writers for a long time. In my book Wissenschaft vom Gehen (Fischer, 2013), I have tried to provide a historical account of those forms of investigations of the human gait, some of the famous, others marginal and largely forgotten, that emerged at the intersection of a variety of disciplines (physiology, neurology, orthopedic surgery, anthropology, psychiatry) since the late 18th century. In my paper, I retrace – in five steps – the historical career of the sciences of walking throughout the 19th century.

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