John David North (19 May 1934 – 31 October 2008) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

historian of science The history of science covers the development of science from ancient times to the present. It encompasses all three major branches of science: natural, social, and formal. Science's earliest roots can be traced to Ancient Egypt and Mesopo ...

and author of numerous books. North was born in

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...

in 1934. He attended Batley Grammar School and then read Mathematics at Merton College, Oxford and later Philosophy, Politics and Economics. He met his wife Marion in Oxford, and married her in 1957. Later he went to

London University The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree- ...

where he took an external degree in

Astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, g ...

Physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

and Applied Maths in 1958. His first book was ''The Measure of the Universe: a History of Modern Cosmology'' (1965), which was praised as "a virtually complete history of modern cosmology". Not long after he started studying

medieval science The history of science covers the development of science from ancient times to the present. It encompasses all three major branches of science: natural, social, and formal. Science's earliest roots can be traced to Ancient Egypt and Meso ...

as he had been appointed librarian and assistant curator of the

Museum of the History of Science, Oxford The History of Science Museum in Broad Street, Oxford, England, holds a leading collection of scientific instruments from Middle Ages to the 19th century. The museum building is also known as the Old Ashmolean Building to distinguish it fro ...

. He was appointed Professor of History of Philosophy and the Exact Sciences at the

University of Groningen The University of Groningen (abbreviated as UG; nl, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, abbreviated as RUG) is a public research university of more than 30,000 students in the city of Groningen in the Netherlands. Founded in 1614, the university is th ...

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

in 1977, where he stayed until his retirement in 1999. North was elected a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1985. He wrote two books on mediaeval scientist and mathematician

Richard of Wallingford Richard of Wallingford (1292–1336) was an English mathematician, astronomer, horologist, and cleric who made major contributions to astronomy and horology while serving as abbot of St Albans Abbey in Hertfordshire. Biography Richard was bor ...

. He was also briefly a member of the British Astronomical Association in the 1950s. North was diagnosed with

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

in 2005, and died on 31 October 2008.

Bibliography

* ''The Measure of the Universe: a History of Modern Cosmology'' (1965) * ''Medieval Star Catalogues and the Movement of the Eighth Sphere'' (1967) * ''Richard Wallingford: an edition of his writings'' (1976) * ''Horoscopes and History'' (1986) * ''1348 and All that: Science in Late Medieval Oxford'' (1987) * ''The Alfonsine Books and Some Astrological Techniques'' (1987) * ''Coordinates and Categories: The Graphical Representation of Functions in Medieval Astronomy'' (1987) * ''Chaucer's Universe'' (1988) * ''Stars, Minds and Fate: Essays in Ancient and Mediaeval Cosmology'' (1989) * ''The Early Years'' (1990) * ''Astronomy and Mathematics'' (1992) * ''Natural Philosophy in Late Medieval Oxford'' (1992) * ''The Fontana History of Astronomy and Cosmology'' (1994) * ''Stonehenge: Neolithic man and the cosmos'' (1996) * ''The Ambassadors' Secret: Holbein and the world of the Renaissance'' (2002) * ''God's Clockmaker: Richard of Wallingford and the invention of time'' (2005) * ''Cosmos: an Illustrated History of Astronomy and Cosmology'' (2008) n expanded edition of his Fontana History

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:North, John Historians of science 1934 births 2008 deaths People educated at Magdalen College School, Oxford English male non-fiction writers 20th-century English historians Alumni of Merton College, Oxford Members of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences 20th-century English male writers