James Six facts for kids

James Six (born 1731, died 1793) was a clever British scientist from Canterbury. He is famous for inventing a special thermometer in 1780. This thermometer, called Six's thermometer, can show the highest and lowest temperatures since it was last reset. You can still find these useful thermometers today, often sold in garden shops!

Early Life and Interests

James Six came from a family who had moved to England many years before. For a long time, his family worked as silk weavers. James also learned this trade.

However, the silk weaving business was becoming difficult. This was because cheaper silks were being brought in from other countries. So, James Six started to look for other interests.

He became very interested in science, which was sometimes called "natural philosophy" back then. He spent his time studying the stars and planets, which is astronomy. He also studied the weather and climate, which is meteorology.

A Famous Invention

In 1780, James Six invented his special thermometer. It was different because it could record both the highest (maximum) and lowest (minimum) temperatures. This was very helpful for scientists and weather watchers.

Two years later, in 1782, a famous group called The Royal Society of London wrote about his new thermometer. This showed how important his invention was.

Recognition and Legacy

Because of his work, James Six became well-known in the scientific world. In 1784, he was chosen to be a member of the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia, USA.

Later, in 1792, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society in England. This was a great honor for his important discoveries and writings about the weather.

James Six also wrote a book about his invention and other weather observations. It was called The Construction and Use of a Thermometer for Showing the Extremes of Temperature in the Atmosphere. This book was published in 1794, after he had passed away.

James Six died on August 25, 1793, when he was 62 years old. He and his wife, Mary, are buried together in a church in Canterbury. His invention, the maximum-minimum thermometer, is still used today. It helps us track temperature changes over time.