Robert Hooke

Robert Hooke, FRS (July 18, 1635 - March 3, 1703), one of the greatest experimental scientists of the seventeenth century, played an important role in the scientific revolution.

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Born in Freshwater on the Isle of Wight, Hooke received his early education at Westminster School. In 1653, Hooke won a place at Christ Church, Oxford. There he met Robert Boyle, and gained employment as his assistant. In 1660, he discovered Hooke's law of elasticity, which describes the linear variation of tension with extension in an elastic spring. In 1662, Hooke gained appointment as Curator of Experiments to the newly founded Royal Society, and took responsibility for experiments performed at its meetings. In 1665 he published a book entitled Micrographia, which contained a number of microscopic and telescopic observations, and some original biology. Indeed, Hooke coined the biological term cell -- so called because his observations of plant cells reminded him of monks' cells. Also in 1665 he gained appointment as Professor of Geometry at Gresham College.

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Robert Hooke also achieved fame as the chief assistant of Christopher Wren, helping to rebuild London after the Great Fire in 1666. He worked on designing the Royal Greenwich Observatory and the infamous Bethlem Royal Hospital (which became known as 'Bedlam').

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He died in London in 1703. No authenticated portrait of him survives, although the historian Lisa Jardine claims one portrait of John Ray represents Robert Hooke, and a seal used by Hooke displays a man's head that some have argued portrays Hooke. Both these claims remain in dispute, however.

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FRS: FRS is an acronym which can stand for various phrases:...

July 18: July 18 is the 199th day (200th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 166 days remaining....

March 3: March 3 is the 62nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (63rd in leap years). There are 303 days remaining....

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