1744 in science

Astronomy

• Great Comet of 1744, first sighted in 1743, remains visible until April (perihelion about March 1).

Cartography

• César-François Cassini de Thury publishes a new triangulated map of France.

Earth sciences

• Susanna Drury's illustrations of the Giant's Causeway in northern Ireland are engraved by François Vivares in London (1743–4), bringing the rock formation to wide European notice.

Mathematics

• Leonhard Euler discovers the catenoid and proves it to be a minimal surface.

Medicine

• By July – Northampton General Hospital established as Northampton Infirmary in England.

Awards

• Copley Medal: Henry Baker

Births

• March 7 - Jean-Baptiste Dumangin, French physician (died 1826)
• June 22 – Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben, German naturalist (died 1777)
• August 1 – Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, French naturalist (died 1829)
• August 16 – Pierre Méchain, French astronomer (died 1804)
• October 17 – Andrew Duncan, Scottish physician (died 1828)

Deaths

• February 14 – John Hadley, English mathematician (born 1682)
• April 25 – Anders Celsius, Swedish astronomer and thermometrician (born 1701)
• July 1 – Catherine Jérémie, French-Canadian botanist (born 1644)
• October 4/5 – John Serson, English inventor (in wreck of )

References

References

1. (1744-03-01). "C/1743 X1". [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]].
2. Anglesea, Martyn. (2004). "Drury , Susanna (b. 1698?, d. in or after 1770)". Oxford University Press.
3. Euler, L. (1744). "Methodus inveniendi lineas curvas maximi minimive proprietate gaudentes". In ''Opera omnia'' '''I''' p. 24.
4. "Northampton General Hospital". Northamptonshire Heritage.
5. "Copley Medal {{!}} British scientific award".
6. (1901). "Le docteur Dumangin de Château-Thierry et le cœur de Louis XVII". Annales de la Société historique et archéologique de Château-Thierry.