Scientific & Technological Breakthroughs

Newton's Principia

Apr 4, 1687

Original definition of Newton's Laws of Motion (from Newton's Principia: the mathematical principles of natural philosophy, P.83/84, 1687)

Hadley's Octant

Apr 4, 1731

Hadley's Octant - Original Drawing (from Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, vol. 37, 1731: p.147)

Watt's Steam Engine

Apr 4, 1774

Watt's Steam Engine - Original Drawing from 1774

Four-Stroke Internal Combustion Engine

Apr 4, 1876

Original Sketch of First Four-Stroke Internal Combustion Engine by Nikolaus Otto (from Original Patent "US 194047 A - Improvement in gas-motor engines")

Penicillin

Apr 4, 1928

Photo of Fleming's petri dishes containing first ever Penicillin (The British Jounal of Experimental Pathology, vol. 10 (1929): p. 79)

Nuclear Fission

Apr 4, 1939

Quote concerning dangerous potential of Nuclear Fission (from Prof, A Westgren's speech during Otto Hahn's Nobel Price Award Ceremony)