William Gilbert

English physician, physicist and natural philosopher (1544-1603)

William Gilbert also known as Gilberd (24 May 1544? – 30 November 1603) was an English physicist, physician and natural philosopher. He was considered as the father of electrical engineering, electricity and magnetism.[1]

William Gilbert
William Gilbert
Born24 May 1544
Died30 November 1603(1603-11-30) (aged 59)
London, England
NationalityEnglish
EducationSt John's College, Cambridge (MD, 1569)
Known forStudies of magnetism, De Magnete
Scientific career
FieldsPhysician

He was one of the great scientists of England as well as of Europe during the Renaissance. He was an important innovator in the history of electromagnetism with De Magnete, Magneticisque Corporibus, et de Magno Magnete Tellure[source?], which was published in 1600. In this book, Gilbert synthesized human understanding of electricity and magnetism from primitive times to the Renaissance. At the same time, he also presented experiments to prove his ideas such as that the Earth is a giant magnet. His greatest work opened a new period in the history of electromagnetism. Since then, electricity had been studied as one of the most excellent and important sources of energy. However, Gilbert became the forgotten scientist.

References

change
  1. Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, 2000, CD-ROM, version 2.5.

Further reading

change
  • Gilbert, William. (1600), De Magnete (About the Magnet). Translated 1893 from Latin to English by Paul Fleury Mottelay, Dover Books, paperback.
  • Ugaglia, Monica. The Science of Magnetism before Gilbert. Leonardo Garzoni's Treatise on the Loadstone , Annals of Science 63 (2006), 59-84.

Other websites

change