Big Bang Timeline

Robert Grosseteste explores the nature of matter and the cosmos.

Mar 27, 1225

English theologian Robert Grosseteste investigated matter and the cosmos. He deduced that the birth of the universe began with an explosion that formed stars and planets in the form of nested spheres. He published his findings in his 1225 treatise De Luce

Johannes Kepler argues for the notion of a finite universe

Jan 1, 1610

In 1610, Johannes Kepler used the dark night sky to argue for a finite universe.

Isaac Newton describes large-scale motion throughout the universe.

Jan 1, 1687

Vesto Slipher begin investigating spiral galaxies

Mar 27, 1910

Vesto Slipher and later, Carl Wilhelm Wirtz, determined that most spiral galaxies were receding from Earth.

Lemaître publishes a paper

Jan 1, 1927

In 1927, Lemaître published in Belgium a virtually unnoticed paper that provided a compelling solution to the equations of General Relativity for the case of an expanding universe.

Georges Lemaitre proposes theory

Mar 1, 1931

In 1931, Lemaitre was the first scientist to propose the expansion of the Universe was actually accelerating which was confirmed observationally in the 1990s through observations of very distant Type IA supernova with the Hubble Space Telescope

The Coining of the term

Mar 28, 1949

Fred Hoyle is responsible for coining the term "Big Bang" on BBC radio's Third Programme broadcast at 1830 GMT on 28 March 1949.