The year 1585 in science and technology included many events, some of which are listed here.

Exploration

* August 8 – English explorer John Davis enters Cumberland Sound in

Baffin Island Baffin Island (formerly Baffin Land), in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, is the largest island in Canada and the fifth-largest island in the world. Its area is , slightly larger than Spain; its population was 13,039 as of the 2021 Canadia ...

in his quest for the Northwest Passage.

Mathematics

John Blagrave John Blagrave of Reading (d. 1611) was an English Tudor mathematician, astronomer and designer of astronomical and mathematical instruments. His astrolabe designs, which he described in his writings, were advanced for Britain. He devoted himself ...

publishes '' The Mathematical Jewel, showing the making and most excellent use of a singular instrument so called, in that it performeth with wonderful dexterity whatever is to be done either by quadrant, ship, circle, cylinder, ring, dial, horoscope, astrolabe, sphere, globe or any such like heretofore devised''. *

Giordano Bruno Giordano Bruno (; ; la, Iordanus Brunus Nolanus; born Filippo Bruno, January or February 1548 – 17 February 1600) was an Italian philosopher, mathematician, poet, cosmological theorist, and Hermetic occultist. He is known for his cosmologic ...

uses

Fabrizio Mordente Fabrizio Mordente (Salerno, 1532 – ca 1608) was an Italian mathematician. He is best known for his invention of the " proportional eight-pointed compass" which has two arms with cursors that allow the solution of problems in measuring the circumf ...

"proportional eight-pointed compass" to refute Aristotle's hypothesis on the incommensurability of infinitesimals, thus confirming the existence of the "minimum" which lays the basis of his own atomic theory. Bruno publishes his proofs as ''Figuratio Aristotelici Physici auditus''. *

Simon Stevin Simon Stevin (; 1548–1620), sometimes called Stevinus, was a Flemish mathematician, scientist and music theorist. He made various contributions in many areas of science and engineering, both theoretical and practical. He also translated vario ...

publishes ''De Thiende'', introducing a form of decimal fraction.

Medicine

Samuel Eisenmenger Samuel Eisenmenger (28 September 1534 – 28 February 1585) was a German physician, theologian and astronomer. He was Professor of Astronomy at the University of Tübingen in 1557–1568. Life As the son of Johann Eisenmenger, pastor in Bretten, ...

publishes ''Cyclopaedia Paracelsica Christiana. Three books of this were the origin and tradition of the liberal arts, also of the physiognomy, above miracles and weather'' in Brussels.

Other events

* The University of Franeker was founded in the United Provinces of the Netherlands. * The University of Graz was founded by

Charles II, Archduke of Austria Charles II Francis of Austria (german: Karl II. Franz von Innerösterreich) (3 June 1540 – 10 July 1590) was an Archduke of Austria and ruler of Inner Austria (Styria, Carniola, Carinthia and Gorizia) from 1564. He was a member of the House o ...

Births

* February 12 - Caspar Bartholin the Elder,

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

polymath (died

1629 Events January–March * January 7– Henry Frederick, Hereditary Prince of the Palatinate, the 15-year-old son of the German Palatinate elector, Frederick V, drowns in an accident while sailing to Amsterdam. * January 19&nd ...

) * November 1 - Jan Brożek, Polish polymath (died

1652 Events January–March * January 8 – Michiel de Ruyter marries the widow Anna van Gelder and plans retirement, but months later becomes a vice-commodore in the First Anglo-Dutch War. * February 4 – At Edinburgh, the parl ...

)

Deaths

* March 10 – Rembert Dodoens, Flemish physician and

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

(born

1517 Year 1517 ( MDXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * January 22 – Battle of Ridaniya: The Holy Ottoman army of the sultan Selim I de ...

) * Taqi al-Din Muhammad ibn Ma'ruf, Arab astronomer and

inventor An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition, idea or process. An invention may be an improvement upon a machine, product, or process for increasing efficiency or lowering cost. It may also be an entirely new concept. If an ...

(born c.

1526 Year 1526 ( MDXXVI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * January 14 – Treaty of Madrid: Peace is declared between Francis I of France and C ...

)

References

{{reflist 16th century in science 1580s in science