Royal Society

The Royal Society was established on 28 November 1660 after a lecture by Christopher Wren, aiming to focus on natural philosophy, which is now known as science. The society aimed to transform knowledge, profit, health, and improve the conveniences of life through observation, experimentation, and publication of results.

A royal charter was signed on 15 July 1662, creating the 'Royal Society of London' with Lord Brouncker as the first president, after King's approval of the gatherings.

The appointment of fellows was first authorized in the second charter of the Royal Society on 22 April 1663. The president and council were allowed to appoint individuals they saw fit as fellows within two months.

On 23 April 1663, a second royal charter was signed, renaming the society as 'the Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge' with Robert Hooke appointed as Curator of Experiments.

In 1665, the Royal Society published the first issue of Philosophical Transactions, a groundbreaking scientific journal. This journal has been showcasing research across various scientific disciplines for over 370 years.

After the Great Fire of London in 1666, the Royal Society temporarily relocated to Arundel House, returning to Gresham College in 1673.

On 30 May 1667, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle, a female aristocrat, made history by becoming the first woman to attend a meeting of the Royal Society. Her presence, along with her female attendants, was highly unusual in a male-dominated society, setting a precedent for future female participation in such gatherings.

Isaac Newton was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1672. His groundbreaking work, Principia Mathematica, was published under the Royal Society's approval.

In 1684, the Royal Society published an English translation of Essays of Natural Experiments Made in the Accademia del Cimento, documenting experiments at the Accademia del Cimento in Italy.

In 1687, Robert Hooke proposed a raise in salary for his position as Curator of the Royal Society, which led to the Society deciding not to continue the post.

The Croonian Lecture was established in 1701 at the behest of William Croone's widow, a founding member of the Royal Society. It is the oldest award given by the Royal Society for achievements in the biological sciences.

In 1703, Francis Hauksbee the Elder was appointed by Isaac Newton as the Curator of Experiments for the Royal Society, although he did not officially hold the title or receive a salary.

In 1709, the Royal Society established the Copley Medal, a prestigious scientific award in Britain. It was made possible by a bequest from Sir Godfrey Copley and is still awarded today.

In 1710, the Royal Society bought two houses in Crane Court, Fleet Street, which included offices, accommodation, and a collection of curiosities.

In 1717, John Theophilus Desaguliers assumed the role of Curator of Experiments at the Royal Society, marking a shift towards less emphasis on experiments and more on scientific discussions.

The Copley Medal, the most prestigious award given by the Society, was first awarded in 1731 to recognize excellence in science and technology.

Although the Croonian Lecture was established in 1701, it was first awarded in 1738. It is considered the most prestigious prize for biological sciences by the Royal Society.

During a debate in 1749, opponents of Benjamin Franklin's invention of the pointed lightning conductor accused supporters of being American allies rather than British, leading to the resignation of the Royal Society's president, Sir John Pringle.

In 1780, the Royal Society moved to Somerset House after being offered the property by His Majesty's Government. The move was planned by Sir Joseph Banks, who became president in November 1778.

In 1828, William Hyde Wollaston donated money to establish a grant-making fund for the Royal Society, allowing them to support research actively rather than just honoring discoverers after the fact.

Original manuscript scientific papers and letters submitted to the Royal Society which remained unpublished or were abstracted in the journal 'Proceedings of the Royal Society' from 1830 onwards.

In 1832, the Royal Society formalized the system for submitting scientific papers for publication, marking the origins of peer review publishing in practice.

In May 1846, a committee recommended limiting the annual intake of members to 15 and insisting on scientific eminence. This led to the society consisting exclusively of scientific fellows.

Rule changes in 1847 led to the Royal Society modifying the nature of its Fellowship to include more professional practitioners.

In 1850, the Royal Society accepted the responsibility of administering a government grant-in-aid of scientific research, which started at £1,000 per year.

In 1851, the British Government provided a grant of £1,000 to the Royal Society to support original investigations, marking a significant step in the practical encouragement of scientific research.

Alfred Tennyson, the poet, was elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society in 1865 for his contributions to science and literature.

In 1866, a Bakerian Lecture was delivered at the Royal Society in London discussing the viscosity or internal friction of air and other gases. The measurements for the lecture were conducted in the speaker's London attic.

The Cruelty to Animals Act of 1876 left the president of the Royal Society as one of the few individuals capable of certifying that a particular experiment on an animal was justified. The president also acts as the government's chief advisor on scientific matters.

In 1883, the Royal Society established a committee to collect various...

The Royal Society established the National Physical Laboratory in 1900.

In 1919, the Royal Society sent expeditions to photograph the solar eclipse of May 29 from Príncipe Island and Sobral, verifying Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity. This contributed to Einstein's fame.

On 22 March 1945, the first female Fellows were elected to the Royal Society following a statutory amendment in 1944 that allowed women to be eligible as candidates.

In 1947, Mary Cartwright became the first female mathematician to be elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society, also becoming the first woman to serve on the Council of the Royal Society.

Since 1967, the Royal Society has been located in Carlton House Terrace, London, where it holds meetings and houses its extensive archival and other resources.

In 2008, the Royal Society opened the Royal Society Enterprise Fund with the intention to invest in new scientific companies and be self-sustaining, funded by returns from its investments.

Adrian Smith took over as the President of the Royal Society on 30 November 2020 from Venki Ramakrishnan. The president is the head of both the society and the council, with a term limit of five years.

The Royal Society has recently released new work including news stories, blog posts, policy statements, and projects. They also provide resources for teachers and history of science researchers.

In 1883, the Royal Society established a committee to gather various information on Krakatoa through crowdsourcing.

Jon Bushell narrates the tale of a hoopoe illustration by Henry Hunt, associated with the Royal Society.

Katherine Marshall is amazed by James Bateman's work 'The Orchidaceae of Mexico & Guatemala'.