1783

Events in 1783 6

• 1707 – 1783 Leonhard Euler Mathematical Genius One of the greatest mathematicians in history, born in Basel; his work defined modern calculus and graph theory.
• 1783 Cavendish — composition of water Water is hydrogen and oxygen, not an element In 1783, Henry Cavendish demonstrated that water is produced by burning hydrogen in oxygen, establishing that water is a compound of two gases rather than a fundamental element. This overturned 2,500 years of belief dating to the ancient Greeks and completed the demolition of the four-elements theory.
• 1783 – 1804 Cayley — principles of aerodynamics Lift, drag and the concept of the fixed-wing aircraft George Cayley of Yorkshire formulated the basic principles of aerodynamics between 1783 and 1804, identifying the forces of lift, drag, and thrust acting on a flying body. He designed the first successful glider and understood that a fixed wing — rather than flapping — was the key to heavier-than-air flight. His 1804 model glider was the ancestor of all subsequent aircraft, including the Wright Brothers' 1903 Flyer.
• 1783 – 1842 Stendhal (1783-1842) Died 23 March 1842, aged 59 French novelist Marie-Henri Beyle, known as Stendhal, wrote The Red and the Black and The Charterhouse of Parma. He is known for the psychological realism of his novels. He collapsed on a street in Paris and died the next day.
• 1783 – 1852 Vasily Zhukovsky (1783-1852) Died 24 April 1852, aged 69 Vasily Zhukovsky was a leading Russian Romantic poet and translator who tutored the future Tsar Alexander II. He died in Baden-Baden, Germany, while living abroad.
• 1783 – 1859 Washington Irving (1783-1859) Died 28 November 1859, aged 76 Washington Irving was an American writer best known for the short stories "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." He was also a diplomat and biographer, and is widely regarded as the first American author to achieve international literary fame. He died at his home in Tarrytown, New York.