MacTutor
Mathematicians Of The Day
11th March
On this day in 1574, using his various instruments, Egnation Danti detected the 11 day error in the calendar when he calculated the vernal equinox to have fallen on 11 March rather than on 22 March as it should for the calendar to be in step with the seasons. From that time on Danti became a leading figure in pressing for calendar reform.
Click on Ⓟ for a poster.
Born:
- 1780: August Crelle Ⓟ
- 1811: Urbain Le Verrier Ⓟ
- 1822: Joseph Bertrand Ⓟ
- 1832: Mary Everest Boole Ⓟ
- 1853: Salvatore Pincherle Ⓟ
- 1870: Louis Bachelier Ⓟ
- 1888: William Berwick
- 1921: Frank Harary Ⓟ
- 1921: Horst Tietz Ⓟ
- 1933: Lochlainn O'Raifeartaigh Ⓟ
Died:
- 1849: Louis Richard
- 1895: Ernst Meissel Ⓟ
- 1920: Julio Garavito Ⓟ
- 1924: Helge von Koch Ⓟ
- 1967: Walter Shewhart Ⓟ
- 1974: Hidegorô Nakano Ⓟ
Quotation of the day
From Joseph Bertrand
How dare we speak of the laws of chance? Is not chance the antithesis of all law?
