360The 1680s: Newton's Principia and Halley's comet
In 1687, Isaac Newton published the Principia, explaining the laws of motion and universal gravitation. Edmond Halley, who paid to print it, studied the comet that now bears his name. The French court moved to Versailles, and in England, Parliament gained new powers in 1689.
The decade's greatest event was a book. In July 1687, Isaac Newton published Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica. It set out three laws of motion and a law of universal gravitation, showing that the same force that makes an apple fall keeps the Moon in orbit. It became one of the most influential scientific works ever written.
The book might not have appeared without the astronomer Edmond Halley, who encouraged Newton and paid for its printing. Halley had observed a bright comet in 1682. Using Newton's laws, he later predicted it would return in 1758. It did, and it has been known as Halley's Comet ever since.
In 1682, Louis XIV moved his court and government to the Palace of Versailles, which became the centre of political life in France and a model for palaces across Europe.
In England, the events of 1688 and 1689 brought William III and Mary II to the throne and led to the Bill of Rights of 1689, which limited royal power and strengthened Parliament. Meanwhile, Edward Lloyd's London coffee house became a meeting place for shipowners and insurers, the origin of Lloyd's of London.
- 1682
- Halley observes the comet later named after him
- 1682
- French court moves to Versailles
- 1687
- Newton publishes the Principia
- 1689
- English Bill of Rights
Sources: Britannica · Royal Society · Château de Versailles.